


To Rise Again

by Ana (Anafandom)



Series: Second Chances [18]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Civil War Team Iron Man, F/M, Gen, Sentient Infinity Stones (Marvel), Sokovia Accords, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 67,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26718337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anafandom/pseuds/Ana
Summary: In 2012, an alien army came to Earth. Since then, Tony Stark has done his best to prepare the planet for whatever else may come. Now it’s time to face the threat of the Mad Titan once and for all.
Relationships: Howard Stark & Maria Stark & Tony Stark, Howard Stark/Maria Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Second Chances [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/717477
Comments: 630
Kudos: 585





	1. Alien ship

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go, guys, the Thanos story for the Second Chances Series. At long last! See? I told you I was going to write it someday. It only took 3 years. ;)
> 
> This series went AU after Doctor Strange, so while there are elements of Avengers: Infinity War in this, there are also some very big changes. I tried to do something different from what I did in “Unconquerable”, but because it’s based on the same canon (and some of my own headcanon), there are some similarities. I’m also assuming that GotG & GotG2 happened, though some things have been tweaked a bit.
> 
> I hope you like it.

**“We may stumble and fall but shall rise again; it should be enough if we did not run away from the battle.”**

**Mahatma Ghandi**

“Sir, the RECON12 satellite has picked something up. It appears to be a small ship and it seems to be headed for Earth,” Jarvis announced.

The RECON12 was the satellite Tony had designed to monitor possible alien space crafts. It had been fitted with the best scanning technology the world had to offer, and it was meant to be an early warning for a new invasion. And it looked like it had done its job. Tony’s mind immediately started thinking about possible threats and what could be done about it. “Alert the Accords Panel and call an emergency meeting.”

“Already done. You and the rest of the Avengers should receive an official summons shortly.”

At times like this, Tony was really glad he had Jarvis back. Not only because Jarvis was his friend (his _son_ ), but because he knew exactly what needed to be done and took the initiative to do it as soon as it was necessary. Thus Tony didn’t have to worry about every little detail.

“What do you think, J?” The appearance of an alien ship could mean anything, from good to bad, to anything in between.

“I do not believe it is Thanos. From what we know of him, he would probably make more of a splash. It could, however, be a scout.”

“Yeah.” Or it could be something completely unrelated to the Mad Titan. There were, after all, a lot of people out there in the universe, and any one of them might stumble into Earth for perfectly innocent (or not) reasons.

A little over an hour later, all Avengers assembled in the conference room at the Compound. It was easier to access the satellite feed (and whatever other tech they might need) from here than the UN building, where Accords meetings usually took place. Thirty-two members of the Accords Panel were in attendance through virtual means. It wasn’t the ideal number, but it was a Sunday afternoon and people had lives. It would be enough for a preliminary discussion. No doubt they would need to continue monitoring the situation and debate their course of action further as new information became available.

“What do we know?” Councilman Dan Wu asked, getting the meeting started. He was the current Chairman, as per the rotation agreement, having taken over from Angela Farnelli just a month ago.

Jarvis was the first to answer. “Approximately 82 minutes ago, our satellites detected a small spacecraft. Based on its trajectory, it appears to be headed for Earth. At its current speed, I estimate 68 hours before it reaches our atmosphere.”

“Do we know how many people are in the ship?” Councilwoman Salvic, the Hungarian representative, inquired with a worried frown.

“No,” Jarvis replied. “Our current sensors are not able to determine that. However, we have an estimate of the ship’s size. Considering a humanoid body size, I estimate 10 individuals to be the maximum number of passengers able to fit in the ship, though it is probably less. Unless, of course, we are speaking about a completely different form of alien life.”

“Weapons?”

“Unknown, though the energy output we can read would suggest that it is certainly possible.”

“Should we try to establish contact?”

Tony didn’t catch who asked the question, but it was probably in everyone’s mind.

“I’m not sure that would be a good idea. It might be better if they don’t know that we know about them,” Rhodey said. “Jarvis, do they know they’ve been detected?”

“Impossible to say, Colonel. They have made no change to their trajectory in the time we’ve been tracking them and have shown no signs of aggression. They have not, however, attempted to establish contact either.”

“Considering what the universe thinks of us – namely, that we’re a primitive planet –, that’s not surprising,” Bruce commented.

Councilman Weber from Germany leaned forward in his seat. “Is the ship damaged? Maybe they didn’t mean to come here exactly.”

“There is no indication of malfunction that we can detect,” Jarvis answered.

“Do we have a visual on it?”

In response, an image appeared on the screen, magnified as much as possible. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the ship, no markings that would indicate affiliation with anything. It was mostly gray and black, with some dark brown patches in places. No obvious guns or weapons in it, though of course those could be (and likely were) hidden behind panels. What Tony assumed to be the windscreen was opaque, obscuring the view of the interior. Overall, the design was fairly standard as far as what one would expect for an alien ship.

“Loki? Thor? Do you recognize it?” Wu asked as everyone examined the craft.

“No,” Thor replied.

Loki shook his head. “Many races outside the Nine have ships capable of space travel, but since Asgard does not interact with them much, I cannot tell which one might have built this one.”

“Are those races friendly or unfriendly?” Salvic asked.

Loki shrugged. “I do not know. There are warrior races out there, as I’ve told you before, but I can’t imagine why they would be interested in your planet. As far as anyone knows, there is nothing much here.”

“Didn’t you say that Earth was under Asgard’s protection?”

“Technically yes, but that was only in relation to the other realms in the Nine. Despite what many Asgardians would like to believe, Asgard’s influence is restricted to the Nine Realms – and not even all of them, at that.” Loki was less bitter about Asgard these days, but some of it was still there in his tone.

Odin probably wouldn’t have cared if Earth had been invaded by Martians or whoever, as long as it didn’t interfere with his own supremacy within the Nine Realms, Tony thought.

Wu sighed and looked at each of the Avengers, gaze lingering on Tony. “So what do we do?”

There were, of course, many different possibilities here, but they didn’t have a lot of information yet. Without knowing more, it was hard to determine what would be the best course of action.

Tony met his fellow Avengers’ eyes. Hope and Strange seemed wary. Bruce was nervously fidgeting with the pen in his hands. T’Challa was silent and solemn, and Tony had no idea what he was thinking. Thor looked like he would love nothing more than to get into a fistfight with whoever it was, but he schooled his featured into something more neutral after Loki elbowed him in the gut with a reproachful glance. Loki then turned to Tony and shrugged. Rhodey nodded at Tony, letting him take the lead. Neither Friday nor Jarvis were physically present, though Tony knew they would voice their thoughts soon enough.

Since everyone seemed to be waiting for him, Tony gave his opinion. “I say we track it, see where it goes. Maybe let it land and find out what they want. It’s only one ship, so we can handle it if it turns violent. If they think we don’t know about them, they won’t call for reinforcements.”

“That’s risky,” Weber said.

“It is, but I think we have the advantage here. Look,” Tony manipulated the screen to show the ship again. “This is a little bigger than the quinjet, but not by much. It’s not the kind of ship that’s here to destroy the planet. They might have weapons, but so do we. Plus, we don’t know why they’re here. They could mean us no harm. If that’s the case, we could be looking at a first contact situation.” And didn’t that make his little geek heart sing with joy? “We don’t want to shoot first and risk making an unnecessary enemy.”

Rhodey nodded. “I agree. We need more information, but we also want to be able to control how and when we engage. Right now, we seem to have the upper hand in that they either don’t know we’re on to them or don’t care all that much. We should find out who they are and what they want before we do anything else.”

“But how are we going to find anything out?” Hope asked, and many councilmembers seemed to have the same question.

“Well, first of all, we see where they’re going. That should tell us something about their goal here,” Tony said.

“We also need to know how many they are, and what they are capable of,” Strange added.

“And what if they are just here to… visit? Have a look around, as it were? Learn about us?” Councilwoman Bertrand asked. “What should we do then?”

“It would be interesting to establish contact with them, in that case,” Bruce mused. “Some exchange of information.”

Wu frowned. “How would we even talk to them, though? I doubt they speak an Earth language.”

“That will not be a problem,” Loki said. “Thor and I can serve as translators, if necessary.” He went on to explain what the Allspeak was, and Tony wondered how something like that could possibly work. Handy, sure, but… mindboggling. Magic was a pain sometimes.

There was a lot of back and forth after that, with ideas on how to approach the aliens if they were friendly, and how to keep them contained if they weren’t. Ultimately, though, they needed to know more first, so Tony’s suggestion of letting them be for now and just observing was accepted.

Jarvis and Friday were put in charge of tracking the ship and reporting its movements to the Panel and the Avengers, who would be standing by to engage with whoever was there if it became necessary. The AIs were also doing their best to scan and study it, compiling as much information as they could gather. A team of scientists and engineers (Tony included, of course) would be selected to review everything later to see what could be learned from it.

For now, though, it was a waiting game.

*****

Many years ago, the idea that an alien ship was heading for Earth would have made Howard breathless with anticipation and curiosity. Despite the trend in sci-fi books of seeing aliens as dangerous invaders, the scientific community had always been more open-minded about the whole thing. Howard had found the subject utterly fascinating, and he would have given an arm and a leg to meet a real alien face to face.

He had been young then, and somewhat naïve.

His feelings on the matter had changed since that time. Now he actually _had_ met a real alien – two, actually. It was, if he was honest, a little disappointing that Thor and Loki looked so human. Even though he knew Loki’s Jotun form was different, he had not seen it himself (not that he wasn’t curious, but it seemed rude to ask the man to show him).

There were also the Chitauri. Now those were proper aliens. Howard had only seen them on video and not in person, though, and that was enough for him. Those were the aliens of sci-fi writers’ imaginations (complete with hostile intentions), and having that in real life had put a damper on Howard’s enthusiasm about alien life.

Then there was the alien behind the Chitauri, Thanos, and all that mess of conquering and destroying he was known for. Loki’s description of Thanos had been pretty terrifying, and Howard hoped he would never have to actually see him. That no one on Earth would, really.

As it was, it was best not to think about it too much.

But now they had an alien ship about to enter Earth’s atmosphere, and it was impossible not to think anymore. The anxiety had returned with a vengeance, and Howard had no idea what to do about it. In the past, he had coped with such feelings by drinking and working. The first was now out of the question (a good thing, of course), and the second was not what it used to be. No one really depended on him for inventions anymore, so he could not use that as a driving force to keep his mind focused.

“Do you think they’re hostile?” he asked Jarvis. Howard had been given permission to be fully briefed on the situation, and to see the images they had of the ship. He would probably join the team studying it, and while a part of him was looking forward to it, another just wanted to scream in fear and hide under the bed.

“I do not have enough information to offer an opinion on the matter as of yet.”

Howard sighed. “What about a gut feeling?” Was Jarvis capable of gut feelings? He behaved much like a human, so it was possible. Jarvis and Friday were absolute marvels, and Howard was unbelievably proud of Tony for creating – and raising – them. His son had done a better job as a parent than Howard ever had, that was for sure.

Jarvis was silent for a moment, as if thinking.

“Going by ‘gut feeling’, I would have to say that I do not believe they are hostile. At least, not immediately so. This does not seem to be part of an invasion force, though of course there is little to substantiate such a claim at the moment.”

Unsubstantiated or not, the statement made Howard feel better. He trusted Jarvis.

It was easier to differentiate Jarvis the AI from Jarvis the human now. At first, it had been painful to acknowledge that his friend was gone (along with pretty much everyone and everything else in Howard’s life, apart from his wife and son), and Jarvis the AI had been a daily reminder. It didn’t help that both had British accents which set them apart from the rest of the people in the Tower. Over time, though, Howard was able to process his loss and associated grief (therapy had been very helpful, despite his reservations), and the two Jarvises became separate in his mind. More than that, Jarvis the AI became his own person, someone Howard was pleased to know and interact with. He was sure that human Jarvis would have been proud that Tony had named his son after him, and he would have liked AI Jarvis very much. They were both caring individuals who valued friends and family and did their best to help and provide for them.

Aside from all that, AI Jarvis was highly skilled, with capabilities that were useful for Tony personally and, now that the need might be even greater, Earth as a whole. Not only was Jarvis the pilot of the Iron Legion, but he was also able to operate all manner of technological devices independently and reliably. If this ship did anything alarming or threatening, Jarvis would know immediately, and could take action if necessary – as would the Avengers.

The anxiety was still there, however, because whatever happened, Tony would be at the forefront of it. No matter how many times Howard told himself his son knew what he was doing – and had a trustworthy team standing by him – a parent could never stop worrying.

Sometimes Howard wondered what he would have done if he had been around when Tony had been kidnapped in Afghanistan – or at any other time his life had been threatened (the invasion, Ultron, the Mandarin, the fucking ‘Civil War’; Jesus, so many…). It was, perhaps, a good thing he had been resurrected after most of the danger had passed, even if it made him feel guilty that he hadn’t been there for his son. Realistically, though, he probably wouldn’t have been able to do anything but have a heart attack… Howard was well aware that he was not at his best when he was stressed, and the end result of that would have likely been more fighting than any actual help from him.

“Howard?”

He turned to see Maria standing by the door of his workshop (the one Tony had made for him so he could still tinker with stuff instead of sitting on his ass doing nothing all day). His wife looked worried, her hand twisting the bottom of her blouse.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, even though the answer was obvious. She had been given the same information as him, after all.

Instead of answering, she came into the room. Howard stood and embraced her.

“It’s gonna be all right, Maria.”

“I don’t like this, Howard. This is… I don’t even know. Terrifying.”

Howard nodded. “I know. But we have to have faith that things will be all right. Tony, the Avengers and the Accords Panel know what they’re doing. They’re gonna come up with a plan to deal with all this, you’ll see.” He was convincing himself as much as her, of course.

“I just hate this… waiting.”

Yeah, Howard could understand. “I don’t like this either.” Tony was about to put his life at risk and all Howard would be able to do was… wait.

“He’s going to need our support,” Maria said. “We have to be able to do that much at least.”

Howard nodded, though his mind was conjuring worst-case scenarios already. He didn’t want to believe in portents of doom. He couldn’t afford to. He had lived through plenty of difficult times, and had gotten through them somehow (hell, he’d gotten through _death_ ). He had to believe that this time would be the same. Tony had survived some pretty bad odds over the years, surely he would do so again.

They were going to find a way out of this. They had to.

*****

The ship had some kind of cloaking technology similar to the retropanels of the Hellicarrier. It might fool the naked eye, but not technology. Still, the fact that it was trying to stay hidden seemed like a good sign. From all they had heard, Thanos was not the subtle type. This might very well have nothing to do with Thanos at all. Which, of course, didn’t exclude the possibility of a hostile visitor anyway.

“Where do you guys think it’s going?” Hope asked the room at large.

The Avenger had been watching the satellite image of the ship for the past half hour. It had entered US airspace a short while ago, though its destination did not appear to be New York.

The Accords Panel had informed as many world leaders as it could about the ship and their decision to let it be for the moment. There had been a few countries’ leaders who had been in favor of shooting it down, but the Panel had argued against it. It was a little worrying that there were so many trigger-happy people out there, though Rhodey couldn’t say he was surprised – or that he didn’t understand why those people felt that way. Still, not everyone out there was a threat, and shooting first and asking questions later might end up backfiring on them. It would be much better to make allies than enemies.

“No idea,” Tony said, “but it definitely looks like they know where they are going.”

The ship had maintained its course pretty much the entire time, only deviating when another aircraft came near it. All commercial and non-commercial flights had been instructed to ignore the ship and continue on their way, and the ship had made no aggressive moves of any kind so far.

“Yeah, this is not random,” Rhodey agreed. “What they could be looking for, though, I have no idea.”

They watched the little dot representing the ship on the screen as it continued on its path. Waiting was a bit nerve-wrecking, but Rhodey called on his years of experience to keep his anxiety at bay. It wasn’t that he thought this particular ship posed a threat to them, but it was, perhaps, an indication of things to come. And they had no idea what these guys wanted.

“Jarvis? Do you have any guesses about the ship’s objective based on its trajectory so far?” Loki asked. “Anything in the direction it’s going that could be a goal?”

“I’m afraid not. I cannot pinpoint any specific targets.”

“What if this alien came here before and left something on Earth? It could be looking to get it back,” Hope suggested.

“It’s a possibility,” Bruce agreed. “We know aliens have visited us before, after all.” He gestured at Thor and Loki. “And left stuff.”

“Was the Tesseract left here on purpose?” Strange asked. “I’ve always wondered.”

Thor shook his head. “I do not know. It was a long time ago. Neither of us had been born.”

“Seems to me like they’d want to keep a closer eye on an Infinity Stone,” Strange added.

“It is possible Odin wanted to hide it here, to keep it from someone else’s hands. No one in the Nine Realms ever came to Midgard at the time,” Loki added. “Perhaps he didn’t think having it in Asgard was a good idea.”

“Right. Because if someone came looking for it, it wouldn’t be Asgard’s ass on the line,” Rhodey mused. The so-called Golden Realm had not really impressed any of them so far.

Loki smiled. “Precisely.”

“But the Frost Giants – sorry, Jotnar – did come,” Hope said. It was Bruce who had first wondered whether the term ‘Frost Giant’ might be a slur. Everyone else agreed that it seemed likely, so they were now careful not to use it anymore.

“Yes, and were driven out quite violently. Odin might have claimed to be defending your realm, but I doubt that was his real motivation.”

Thor opened his mouth as if to say something, then thought better of it. He still had this knee-jerk reaction to defend Asgard whenever someone (specially Loki) said something negative about his home. It was understandable, of course, but Rhodey was glad to see that Thor’s impulse control had improved, and he was able to rein himself in and think before he actually said anything. Although Thor was still far from Rhodey’s favorite person, there was no denying that he had grown since being here. Rhodey couldn’t help wonder how hard it would be for him when he finally returned to Asgard with this new outlook; that was bound to get him in all sorts of trouble. Getting a new outlook on life was always hard when one had to confront the source of the old prejudices.

“Maybe we should scan the whole planet for weird alien things, just in case we get any more surprises. I mean, since we have better tech now, we might actually have a chance of finding something,” Hope suggested.

“I have already done so, Ms van Dyne,” Jarvis said. “Our current sensors cannot pick up anything other than the objects we already know about. The Infinity Stones have a specific energy signature we are now familiar with, but that may not be the case for other types of alien artifacts. Some of them might not emit any kind of energy at all.”

“Oh. That’s too bad, then.”

“Indeed.”

“The Order has collected a few objects that might be alien in origin,” Strange told them. “Those that were deemed to be dangerous were either destroyed, when possible, or locked away. But we have never had the means of testing it for whatever type of energy technology can now detect.”

“We should get to that, then,” Bruce said.

Strange nodded. “I’ll speak to the Order.”

They chatter for a while longer, doing their best to keep the tension in the room to a minimum. The Compound staff brought up some food for them as they continued to wait.

Despite the odd situation and the nervousness that permeated the room, Rhodey felt optimistic. They had a good team here, and the Accords were working as well as they could. They had identified the ship, debated what to do, come to a decision and were ready to take action. It had all been done with as much speed as it was possible for a process like that – they had _not_ , as Rogers had once feared, been bogged down by red tape. Rhodey really should have seen then that Rogers had no idea how the real world worked.

If Rogers had still been in charge of the Avengers – and answering to no one – he would have probably gone in guns blazing the moment the ship had come to his attention, and god knew how that would have turned out. Rhodey would bet on a disaster. Fortunately, the people in charge now were more level-headed and capable of long-term planning. They were also working collaboratively and not making decisions based on selfish agendas.

The ExVengers were not something he thought of much anymore – and Rhodey was sure it was the same for all the others. They were completely irrelevant to their lives and the work they did, which was, at the moment, dealing with the appearance of the alien ship.

After almost an hour of waiting, something finally happened.

“Sir, the ship is slowing down. It appears to be preparing for descent.”

“Show us.”

In response, a holographic map came to life.

The ship was currently in South Dakota. All of places for it to go, that was definitely _not_ what anyone would have expected.

“What the hell is in South Dakota?” Rhodey asked, voicing everyone’s thoughts.

“According to its trajectory, it seems to be heading for Henders Prison,” Jarvis replied. “It is the only thing in the vicinity.”

That was very weird indeed. As far as Rhodey knew, that was just a regular prison. At least, he had never heard anything significant about it. It was certainly not affiliated with the Accords or anything like that.

“Anyone interesting in there, Jarvis?” Tony asked.

“I do not believe so, Sir.” There was a slight pause. “Wait. Mr Felix Hunter was recently transferred to that prison.”

“Who is that?” Thor asked.

“He introduced himself as Aemon the Great.”

Tony shared a look with Rhodey and Strange. “I didn’t know Aemon had been transferred.”

Aemon (and Rhodey could see Tony’s mental eye roll at the ridiculous name) had been charged with assault and unauthorized possession of an alien artifact (which was now a crime; such was the world they lived in). Initially, he had been treated as an enhanced person and all precautions had been taken to ensure he wouldn’t escape while the trial was ongoing. Once the Masters of the Mystic Arts had been accepted by the Accords Panel as a formal organization, and a contract had been signed between the two parties, the Order had been allowed to provide their services to select cases, which included Aemon. They had also given information about the sorcerer.

The man had once belonged to the Order, studying under the former Sorceress Supreme for a short time nearly ten years ago. He had not made the best impression on the people of Kamar-Taj, and had not lasted long. He hadn’t exactly been kicked out, but only because he had left voluntarily first. He had travelled a lot after that, never holding down a job for long until he had mysteriously disappeared a couple of months after the invasion in 2012 – just went completely off the grid. He was next seen attacking Tony at the Tower, when he had accidentally resurrected Howard and Maria Stark with the Soul Stone. During his trial, Aemon had refused to say where he had been and how he had acquired the Stone. It had been quite obvious that the man was a fanatic and not all that sane. Still, he had been found competent to stand trial and had ultimately been convicted. The Order had, as per its agreement with the Accords Panel, sent someone to bind Aemon’s powers. Without his powers, there had been no need for him to be in a special prison, so he’d been sent to a regular prison in New Jersey. That had been the last Rhodey had heard of him.

“Why was he transferred?”

“It appears he requested the transfer a year ago, as he is originally from South Dakota. Authorization was granted four months ago, according to the prison records.”

“Who is this person?” T’Challa asked.

T’Challa was the only member of the Avengers (a reserve member, technically) who didn’t know about Howard and Maria’s resurrection. The Panel had seen no reason to tell him, and no one had insisted, least of all Tony. It wasn’t that the Avengers thought T’Challa couldn’t be trusted, exactly, it was just… well, given T’Challa’s history, it could be… complicated. Rhodey may have accepted the man as a teammate, but that didn’t mean he was all that fond of the guy. There were, however, many members of the Panel who had voted against telling him because they actually _didn’t_ trust him – and as a sort of punishment. If it became relevant and necessary to tell him, though, the Panel would do it. It just really wasn’t a concern at the moment.

“He attacked us two and a half years ago,” Tony replied. “He had the Soul Stone with him.”

“If Aemon is indeed the target of our alien visitor, it seems quite likely that their presence has something to do with Thanos. Or, at the very least, with the Infinity Stones,” Vision said, and Rhodey had to agree.

“Yeah. And that’s not good,” Bruce added.

Rhodey nodded, then looked at the rest of the Avengers. “Jarvis, call a meeting with the Panel. We need do inform them of these latest developments.”

“Of course, Colonel.”

Since the Panel member had been standing by, it did not take long for everyone to gather for a renewed discussion. The Avengers explained the situation and what they suspected about the alien’s goal.

“Surely they don’t think Mr Hunter still has the Stone?” someone on the Panel said.

“Probably not,” Tony agreed. “It could be that they’re just not happy he lost the Stone in the first place.”

“Thanos is not known for being merciful,” Loki added. “And neither are those who work for him.”

“That could be a problem,” Rhodey said. “Aemon might be a criminal, but we can’t let some random alien kidnap or kill him.”

“I am curious as to how they found Mr Hunter,” Vision interjected. “As far as I am aware, there is nothing particularly special about him that would allow him to be tracked.”

“Maybe some residual energy from being near the Stone?” Hope suggested.

“If that’s the case, many of us would have the same signature,” Bruce retorted, pointing at himself, Tony, Strange, Loki and Thor. “We have all been in contact with at least one of the Stones.”

“While that is something to consider, I think we need to focus on what to do about this alien now,” Wu said, drawing the meeting back to its original purpose.

Just then, Jarvis announced that the ship seemed to have landed in the woods near where the prison was located. They waited for a bit, but nothing further happened.

“Jarvis? Has anyone exited the ship?”

“It is difficult to say, Colonel. The view from the satellite is blocked by trees, and there are no cameras nearby that I can access.”

“I think it’s time to go and get a look for ourselves,” Rhodey said.

“Strange can take Loki and Hope to the site by a portal and follow the aliens until we know a bit more about what they want with Aemon. The three of them are the best at being invisible,” Tony suggested.

Wu nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” He glanced at the Avengers and the other Panel members. “Does anyone have any objections?” When everyone shook their heads, Wu looked back at the Avengers in question. “Good luck, then. Keep us posted.”

Strange, Loki and Hope went to make sure their comms were working properly and get a few things that might be necessary – and which Loki helpfully put in a pocket dimension.

“All right, guys,” Rhodey said. “Your mission is primarily to observe. Do not engage unless it’s necessary. We’ll alert the prison administration and let them know what’s going on. Loki, you have the lead for this.”

Loki nodded and off they went. Everyone had been ready to go into the field as soon as the ship had been identified, so there was no need for any further delay.

One way or another, they would get some answers soon enough.


	2. First contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So who is in the mystery ship? It's time to find out.

Night had just fallen by the time they slowly and quietly approached the ship. Strange had cast an invisibility spell over them, but they weren’t going to take any chances, even with the low visibility. Though the ship was still cloaked, the scanner Tony had given them showed its outline. It was, as they already knew, slightly bigger than the Quinjet, and not of a design Loki recognized, which didn’t really mean much.

“What can you tell us, Jarvis?” Loki whispered, knowing that the rest of the Avengers were listening back at the Compound.

Despite the fact that Hope and Strange had seniority on him in terms of being Avengers for longer, Rhodes had put Loki in charge of this mission. Being an Avenger might be new for him, but Loki had participated in hundreds of missions and campaigns over the centuries, and thus had plenty of experience. Thor had been nominally in charge in most of those, but Loki had usually been the one to come up with the plans (not surprising, since Thor’s plans had mostly been of the ‘charge and kill whoever is in the way’ variety). It was nice, then, to be actually given command – and to know the others would follow him.

“I believe the ship is empty,” Jarvis reported, “though I cannot be sure.”

Loki could detect no traces of magic near it, which was not unexpected, and told his companions so.

“So now what?” Hope asked, looking around.

“There,” Loki said, pointing at faint footprints. “Only one set. Curious.” Hope and Strange glanced around with confused expressions. Loki’s night vision had always been excellent – Jotunheim was a dark realm, after all, so that made sense – and he could see perfectly well. Hope had her helmet on, which had sensors that helped compensate for the poor light. Strange had used a spell to temporarily improve his eyesight. In spite of that, neither of them was the outdoors type, and had no experience with hunting. They wouldn’t know what to look for even in day time. Fortunately for them, Loki did. “One set of footprints,” Loki clarified. “Follow me.”

The three of them left the clearing where the ship was and continued on into the forest west of the prison. There didn’t seem to be any doubt that the building was the aliens’ destination. There was nothing else around here they could want.

As they neared the prison, Loki raised a fist and they all halted. Up ahead, he could see a cloaked figure approaching the prison gates. It was humanoid-shaped, but that was about all he could tell from this distance.

“There they are,” Hope whispered. “Only one.”

“Yes.” Loki raised the scanner in the direction of the alien. “Are you getting this, Jarvis?”

“Indeed. I am detecting some faint energy readings.”

Strange frowned. “What kind of energy? Weapons?”

“Possibly, but something else as well.”

Hope took a small step forward. “Should I get closer?”

Loki nodded. Strange dropped the invisibility on her after she shrunk down and flew after the alien. Loki and Strange waited a while, then started moving towards their target again.

“The alien has done something to the prison’s security system,” Jarvis told them. “The nearest camera has been looped to mask their presence.”

“What about the guards?” Strange asked.

“There are no guards stationed at the walls. The prison relies on technology to monitor its surroundings.”

“What about motion detectors?”

“Those appear to have been disabled as well.”

“How?”

“Some kind of interference, though I cannot say which type specifically.”

“Guys,” Hope said through the comms. “The alien has just climbed over the wall and into the prison yard. I’m going to follow them.”

Loki looked at the high wall with the barbwire fence at the top. Clearly this person was stronger and more agile than the average human. “Can you describe the alien, Wasp?”

“No, sorry. They’re wearing a hood and some kind of mask underneath.”

Loki and Strange portaled to the other side of the wall and continued to follow at a distance.

“Jarvis, inform the prison authorities to stay out of the way. We don’t know if this person will turn to violence if confronted,” Loki said.

“Message sent. The inmates are all in their cells and the guards will stay in their posts to allow us to interfere if necessary. I have also regained control of the cameras. I have a visual.”

The scanner changed to show the view from the camera at the entrance to the prison. The mask over the alien’s face retreated and they could see her face clearly for the first time. It was a female with bluish skin and a darker patch running down the center of her face. The left eye socket was framed by metal components that melted into her skin.

“I know her,” Loki murmured when the alien’s face was revealed.

Beside him, Strange tensed. “You do? Who is she?”

“I don’t remember her name, but she is one of Thanos’s… lackeys.”

“Shit.”

Loki had done his best to bury the memories of being in void, then at the mercy of Thanos and his generals. Since being on Earth, he had been more successful at that. Therapy and friendship had gone a long way toward healing those lingering wounds. And now all of it was coming back.

He knew how to handle it, though, and not succumb to panic attacks. He took a deep breath and pushed the memories away into a corner to be dealt with later. For now he had a job to do, and he wasn’t going to disappoint his teammates.

“What now?” Hope asked.

“We need to bring her in.” Now that they were fairly sure this woman had something to do with Thanos, capturing her and finding out what she was doing here seemed like the best course of action. “Jarvis, please inform the prison authorities that we are moving in to apprehend the alien. They are to stay out of our way.”

“Message sent. We are cleared to engage.”

“I’ll portal us closer then put us in the mirror dimension so she won’t be able to escape,” Strange said, and Loki nodded.

Within a moment, they emerged from the portal behind the alien. She immediately turned around, drawing out a sword from her cloak and swinging it in their direction. Loki conjured a shield to protect them while Strange got them all to the mirror dimension.

The woman narrowed her eyes when the environment changed, but didn’t let it slow her down in the slightest. She was good; there was no doubt she had received extensive training. However, she had no magic – and she was outnumbered. Hope used her sting weapon as Loki and Strange kept her distracted, and then it was a simple matter of magicking up some ropes to bind her. She twisted and cursed to no avail.

With their prisoner secure, Strange portaled them all back to the Avengers Compound, where she was placed in one of the special cells. Jarvis and Friday kept an eye on her while the Avengers and the Panel had another meeting to discuss their next move.

“Tell us what you know about this individual, Loki,” Wu said.

Now was the time to unbury those memories he had put aside, even though it was far from a pleasant prospect. He looked around the room – at his friends – and felt stronger. He could do this.

“As I told you when I first came to Earth, Thanos has a number of… generals. Some of them are known collectively as the Black Order. I never met any of them personally, but from what I was able to piece together, they are quite powerful and fanatic in their dedication to Thanos and his cause.”

“And this woman is one of them?”

“No. I distinctly remember hearing someone refer to her in addition to the Black Order as Thanos’s trusted allies. I believe this second group, of which this woman is a part of, was referred to as ‘Children of Thanos’.”

“Children? So this Mad Titan has children?”

“I don’t think they are biologically related, no. From what I understood, Thanos often picks orphaned children from the worlds he destroys to raise as his own.”

“Well, that’s twisted and sick,” Tony commented.

Loki had to agree. The whole thing reminded him uncomfortably of his own circumstances – taken from his home to be used for someone else’s agenda, twisted and manipulated until he didn’t know who he was anymore.

“I cannot imagine he is… a good father,” Loki continued. Odin might be an absolute dick, to use the human’s terminology, but Loki’s impression of Thanos was that he was even worse – a considerable achievement. If that was true, he had a great deal of sympathy for this poor woman.

“Any idea why she might be here?”

“Guess we’ll have to ask her,” Tony replied, “though if I had to guess, I’d say she came to find out what happened to the Soul Stone someone gave Aemon. Hell, maybe she was the one who gave it to him.”

Wu frowned. “That was almost three years ago. Why come only now?”

“We have no idea where she came from, and that little ship doesn’t look like it’s very fast. Maybe she’s been en route for a while,” Tony shrugged.

“She is loyal to Thanos, you said,” Betrand said, looking back at Loki.

“That was my impression, yes.”

“So if she’s here, Thanos must be aware of it. If she doesn’t came back, he might send someone else to rescue her and fulfill her mission.”

“It’s possible,” Loki agreed. He didn’t think Thanos would be interested in rescuing her so much as getting whatever she was here to do done.

Tony sighed. “That is not good for us.”

Wu agreed. “Mr Stark is right. We will have to speak to her and hope she is in a cooperative frame of mind.”

“We do have the advantage that we know more about her than she probably knows about us. That might help us catch her off guard,” Bruce suggested.

“The important thing we need to know is whether we should expect more visitors, and what kind.” Weber said, and many councilmembers nodded.

Tony leaned back in his chair and looked at the camera that showed the interior of the cell. “It is weird that she came alone,” he muttered, almost to himself.

“What about the ship?” Someone on the Panel asked.

“As soon as we’re done here, Strange can go back to where it’s parked and bring it over. You can tell the science team that we’ll start our investigation into it as soon as everyone is available,” Tony replied. “For now, I think we should pay a visit to our visitor.”

“I can go with you,” Loki offered.

“Do you think she knows who you are?” Rhodey asked. “I mean, that you were the one who came here before?”

Loki shrugged. “She did not seem to recognize me, but I cannot be sure. She was not part of the group that... interrogated me… before.”

“I think it’s better if we keep that part to ourselves for now,” Tony said. “Let’s see what we can find out first.”

There was a brief discussion on who else should be there for the interview. In the end, they decided on a less intimidating approach to begin with, so Tony would go alone. It seemed that the alien spoke English, so they would not need Loki’s translation skills.

Jarvis obligingly enlarged the image from the hallway where the cell was and everyone settled in to watch.

“Welcome to Earth,” Tony said as he strolled into their guest’s view. “Sorry about the accommodations, but we’re not big fans of Thanos or his family around here.” The woman flinched slightly at the Titan’s name. Loki could certainly understand why. Even to his allies Thanos was not known for his kindness. “What’s your name?”

“Nebula.”

“I’d say nice to meet you, but… well.” Tony gave her his best shark smile. “I’m Tony Stark. You might have heard of me.”

Nebula said nothing to that, yet Loki could tell that the name did mean something to her. It made sense. According to Tony, that guy Aemon had said he had come to kill Tony specifically, possibly in retaliation for the destruction of the Chitauri fleet. It was possible that Aemon had told Thanos or one of his lackeys about Tony, which was worrying. Loki certainly didn’t like the idea of his friend being on a madman’s radar. On the other hand, they might be able to use this to their advantage somehow.

“Why are you here?”

“You have something that does not belong to you,” she replied. “It is dangerous.”

“You mean the Infinity Stone?” Tony purposefully didn’t specify which. Clever, of course, since they didn’t know if Nebula knew they had, in fact, three of them.

“Thanos will come for you in order to get it back. And he will slaughter you all.”

“Yeah, we’re aware of that possibility.”

“You will lose. Your entire planet will be destroyed.”

Tony shrugged, appearing unconcerned; the man was very good at concealing his true feelings. However, Loki would bet his heart was pounding inside. “We beat him once before, you know.”

Nebula scoffed. “That was not Thanos. The Chitauri are nothing compared to the other forces at his command.”

“We have a few tricks up our sleeves too.”

“No matter what weapons you think you have, it will not be enough. I have seen it many times. No one can withstand the might of Thanos.”

Tony cocked his head to the side and studied Nebula for a bit. Loki wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but something important had obviously occurred to him. “Do you want Thanos to succeed? To get the Stones?” Tony asked.

“It does not matter what I want. Thanos will succeed. He always does.” She looked away and Loki noted that she did not seem elated by the prospect. In fact, all he could see in her eyes was a weary sort of resignation.

“Well, I don’t believe in no-win scenarios. This Thanos guy might be tough shit, I don’t doubt it, but he’s not invincible. And he will _not_ destroy my planet. You can help us stop him.”

Nebula shook her head, standing rigidly in the middle of the cell.

“Then you can stay in this cell. And whatever you were here to do, you’ve failed.”

That got a response. She flinched slightly, her body tensing up even more. Tony waited a bit longer to see if she was going to say anything else. When she didn’t, he turned.

“J, let us know if she does anything.” He walked out, heading back to the conference room.

Well, perhaps Nebula could be an ally after all. They’d have to wait and see.

*****

By her estimation, it had been two days since Nebula had been imprisoned. Water and food had been provided, brought on by a weird-looking female Terran, and there had been no threats. Nebula didn’t trust it.

She had studied the cell she was in quite thoroughly, and she thought she might be able to escape. Unfortunately, that would not help her much. She didn’t know where she was, or where the Terrans had taken her ship. Without it, she was trapped in his miserable planet, at the mercy of these people. Just because they had not attempted to hurt her yet didn’t mean that they wouldn’t. They knew about Thanos and the Stones, they knew the threat they faced; no doubt they would do anything to give themselves an advantage, and here she was, a potential source of information.

It had been foolish to come here. Had she really thought she would be able to find the Soul Stone and steal it away? Stupid. Now it was only a matter of time until Thanos sent the Black Order here to retrieve it. Then he would be one step closer to his ultimate goal, and the universe would be doomed. Nebula’s only consolation was the thought that using the Stones would probably kill Thanos.

Perhaps Gamora had gotten her message, though. Nebula had told her where she was planning to go, with a cryptic reference to why (just in case the communication was intercepted). If so, Gamora and her little pathetic group of friends – pathetic they might be, but they had managed to defeat Ronan and keep him from taking the Power Stone – might come for Nebula. However, Nebula wasn’t sure how they would fare against the Terrans. She had not expected the Terrans to be as powerful as they were. She still didn’t know how they had been able to destroy the Chitauri fleet, but it had been an impressive feat, especially for a planet that was supposed to be so primitive. Obviously, she had underestimated them. Could it be that they actually had a chance?

No. She could not let herself hope like that. It would be too hard to face one more disappointment. People liked to talk big, but each and every single one of those who had gone up against Thanos had ended up dead – or worse. She would never be able to escape.

She sat in her bunk and waited. There was nothing more she could do at the moment. Perhaps Gamora would come. Perhaps not. Eventually, the Black Order would show up to reclaim the Stone, and she’d either be able to convince them that she was acting for Thanos or they’d take her back for punishment. Either way she was fucked, and so was the universe.

As always.

Or maybe the Terrans would kill her first. Nebula couldn’t decide if that would be a good or a bad thing.

At the beginning of the third day, the same man from before came to see her again. This time he had one of the people who had captured her with him. Nebula thought he seemed familiar, but couldn’t place him.

“So, Nebula…” Stark said, watching her with sharp eyes. “Have you reconsidered my proposal?”

“Proposal?”

“Yes. To help us fight against Thanos.”

“You are a fool,” was all she said in response. No one could defeat Thanos.

“I’ve been called a lot of things, you know, but fool is most definitely not one of them.”

“That is true,” the other one agreed. “These humans are much more ingenious that one might think at first glance.” He was taller than Stark, with pale skin and dark hair going down to his shoulders. There was something different about him that she could not quite pinpoint.

“You are not… human?” She asked, affecting a bored air. He looked the same as the others she’d seen on the planet so far.

He cocked his head to the side. “You really don’t remember me?”

“Should I?”

“I was once a… guest, shall we say… at a distant moon. Fallen from the void.” His eyes were a deep green, and she could see a flash of pain in them.

Nebula’s eyes narrowed. Ah, yes. She remembered him now, the fallen one. She had only seen him once, while he was still being… persuaded… to aid Thanos in his quest for the Stones. He had resisted for quite some time, if she remembered correctly. “You were supposed to bring Thanos the Space Stone.” And he’d lost the Mind Stone as well. Nebula had wondered where those two had ended up. Could they be here? Could the Terrans have them? If so, that might actually give them a fighting chance against Thanos, provided the Titan didn’t get his hands on the other three first. “Thanos was not pleased by your failure.”

“No, I don’t imagine he was.” His voice was soft, yet Nebula could see flickers of fear in his eyes. He knew what awaited him if he ever saw Thanos again – the same that happened to everyone who failed or displeased the Titan. Nebula had to fight the urge to flinch. Then the man straightened and took a step closer. “We have not been properly introduced. I am Loki, formally of Asgard. As you can see, I have allied myself with the humans here in order to fight against Thanos and whoever else threatens this realm. I have given them as much information on Thanos as I could, but we would welcome anything else you might have to contribute.”

“I can see that you’re not the kind of crazy who thinks destroying planets is fun, so I can only imagine that you’ve been… coerced into… whatever your deal is with Thanos,” Stark continued. “We can help you get the hell away from him. You help us, we help you.”

“And if I don’t? What will you do? Torture the information out of me?”

Stark grimaced. “No. We don’t condone torture here. As I said, if you don’t want to help, we’ll just have to keep you here. We can’t have you running off and warning Thanos and his minions, you see.” He sighed. “I know you have no reason to trust us. And I can’t promise a favorable outcome, but we _will_ fight our best fight. Wouldn’t it be better to join us and take your chances rather than staying with a crazy murderer who doesn’t give a crap about you?”

Nebula tightened her jaw and said nothing. This Terran spoke sweet words, surely, yet words were meaningless. What guarantee did Nebula have that they wouldn’t turn against her after they’d gotten what they wanted? Why should any of them _want_ to help her? She was nothing to them. And if Loki knew who she was, he must also know what she had done. All the years in Thanos’s ‘service’ and all the blood on her hands. Nor that she cared about that, of course. She was a survivor, and the universe was not a happy place. People died every day; why should she shed a tear for anyone when no one had ever shed any for her? She did what she was told to do, no matter what she might privately think about it. It wasn’t as if she had ever had the option of refusing. Not if she wanted to keep living.

All she had ever wanted was to be free. Free from pain, from fear, from hunger and despair. It had never happened. Thanos had taken everything from her and only gave destruction in return. Yes, she wanted him dead – there was nothing she wanted more, in fact – but why should she think that these primitive humans who weren’t even capable of space travel would be able to do it? Even if they had some Stones, it meant nothing if they couldn’t use them – or keep them out of Thanos’s hands.

Although there was still the matter of how they had destroyed the Chitauri, she remembered. They were not as primitive as she had previously believed.

“I have heard about Thanos and what he does to his _children_ ,” Loki said, disgust dripping from his voice at the last word. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m sure you want him dead as much as we do. Working with us will make it easier for all of us to get what we want.”

“You know nothing,” Nebula replied, in as level a tone as she could manage. She shoved down the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. Now was not the time to be trapped in the past.

What good would it do to remember what Thanos had done to her – and continued to do? The Children of Thanos were feared across the galaxy, but no one knew what it was like to grow up under his thumb. Dozens had died – been killed – when they had proven… unsuitable. Thanos set his standards high, and anyone who couldn’t reach them was simply eliminated. Nebula had stared death in the face more times than she cared to count, always aware that she was one wrong move away from the end. Instead of killing her, though, Thanos had ‘improved’ her. He spoke of ‘another chance’ to prove herself, but in reality it was just a way to prolong her suffering. One day there would be nothing left of her at all, and she might think that death was the better option after all.

 _Gamora will come. I will get out of here_ , she thought to herself, though she was at all not certain about that. Her relationship with her sister was still tentative and fragile, and Nebula wasn’t sure she could trust it. Gamora had let her down too many times.

However, even if her sister did come, then what? What was Nebula supposed to do? Go back to Thanos and wait until he achieved his goal? Run? Where? There was nowhere she could go that Thanos would not find her, especially if he had the Stones.

Every way she looked at it, it didn’t look good for her – or for the universe.

“All right,” Stark said, when the silence had gone on too long. “If you change your mind, maybe we can work something out. In the meantime, there is something else I’d like to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” Nebula did not like the way the man was looking at her. It seemed like… pity.

“It has come to our attention that some of your cybernetic parts are damaged. We’d like to know if there’s anything we can do to fix them. I’m something of a technology expert, so I might be able to help with that. Or, if you’d rather, we can provide you with some tools so you can do it yourself.”

Nebula stared. It wasn’t a genuine offer, of course not. It couldn’t be. “Why do you care?” She hadn’t meant to voice that thought, and bit her lip to keep anything else in.

Stark shrugged. “Fixing things is kinda my thing. But, really, we have moral standards that we like to uphold, and one of them is to offer medical aid to those who need it, regardless of who they are and what they might have done. Despite your affiliation with Thanos, you haven’t actually done anything truly criminal, so we have no reason to just let you suffer if there is something we can do to mitigate that.”

The words didn’t make any sense. If they knew she was with Thanos – and if they knew Thanos wished them harm – it made no sense for them to offer anything to help her. On the contrary, it would be more logical to hurt her first and then dangle treatment/release in her face as incentive to tell them what she knew. As far as tactics went, this was insane.

Unless they wanted to lure her into a false sense of security. It was a trick. It had to be. She couldn’t trust anything they said.

“I don’t need anything from you,” she sneered, unnerved by the entire exchange. She had spent her whole life ignoring pain, and she was not so desperate as to fall for such a transparent scheme.

Stark sighed. “Okay. The offer will stand, so, as I said, let us know if you change your mind. Friday will be keeping an eye on you, so you can tell her if there is anything you wish to say. She’s the one that brought you food before.”

“Hello again Ms Nebula,” a voice spoke from nowhere, making Nebula glance about in confusion. Of course she was aware that the Terrans must have some way of watching her, yet she hadn’t figured out how they did it. “My name is Friday and I will be in charge of monitoring you for the duration of your stay here. I am available at all times, if you have questions or requests.”

Nebula thought about asking where the woman was, but she didn’t want to let on that she was bothered by an invisible observer. It was always best not to show any weakness. She returned to her bunk and sat, ignoring the humans until they left. They would not get to her.

*****

“Well, that didn’t go too well,” Tony commented as they returned to the conference room.

“She is suspicious and distrustful. I would be too, in her position.”

In fact, Loki _had_ been in that position, and it had taken him a long time to trust that the Avengers were being honest in their desire to help him. And he had had some foreknowledge of them from their previous interactions, even if that had been under less than ideal circumstances. To Nebula, they were complete strangers, so it was no wonder that she was reluctant to agree to anything.

“Any ideas on how we can convince her that we’re sincere?”

“I suppose we could try volunteering some information or letting her become more familiar with Earth’s cultural practices. However, that could give her ammunition she might use against us later,” Loki replied.

They arrived at their destination, where the others were waiting. There was food on the table, so Tony and Loki got themselves a plate as they settled in.

While Loki had been placed in the Tower upon his return to the planet, the Panel had decided that it would be better to house Nebula at the Compound. It had, after all, been equipped with cells for just such a necessity. The Tower was just as secure, but it was right in the middle of New York, and it was best, everyone felt, to keep possible dangerous aliens away from a populated area. If the Compound as it was now had been fully operational when Loki had first arrived, he would have been put here as well.

That meant that the Avengers were spending more time at the Compound, just in case Nebula tried a break out. Friday, Jarvis and Vision didn’t need to sleep, so they could keep watch 24/7 with no difficulty, but the others felt the need to be there too.

“So, what do we think about this Nebula person?” Hope asked.

“She doesn’t seem like a fanatic,” Tony replied. “I’m not sure she’s with Thanos out of choice. In fact, I kind of think she came here to put a wrench in Thanos’s plan by taking the Soul Stone before the guy could get his hands on it.”

When he had first spoken to her, that was what had struck him the most. The words she said were the right ones, but Tony could not sense the same fanaticism he’d seen from Aemon. Nebula’s demeanor wasn’t that of a devoted follower praising a cult leader. On the contrary, she seemed almost… distraught… by the thought of Thanos winning.

There was also the matter of what had been done to her. The scans they’d run showed that there were extensive modifications on her body. Both external and internal parts had been replaced by cybertech of a type Tony had never seen before (not surprising, considering it was alien). It integrated quite seamlessly with her flesh – a very impressive feat. Despite that, Tony didn’t think it had been done voluntarily. It certainly jived with what Loki had told them about Thanos’s sadistic tendencies.

The scans had also revealed that some of those parts were damaged or malfunctioning. Tony would bet that Nebula was in quite a bit of pain because of it, yet none of it showed in her body language or expression. She must be used to it. Tony knew well it was perfectly possible to learn to live with discomfort when there was no other choice.

It did not surprise him, however, that she had declined his offer of help. She didn’t know she could trust them yet.

“That’s pure speculation, Tony,” Rhodey pointed out, getting Tony’s mind back to the matter at hand.

“I know. I said so, didn’t I? Doesn’t mean I can’t be right.”

“What makes you believe that?” Vision interjected.

Tony sighed. “It’s just… a general impression from the way she talks and acts. Let’s look at the facts we have so far, shall we?” He straightened, running a hand through his hair. “We have reason to believe that Thanos is the type who wants people to look at him in fear. But Nebula came alone, on a small ship, and did her best to remain undetected. She didn’t go about exploding things and making a big spectacle of herself, loudly proclaiming that Thanos is coming and all that. She quietly slipped into a prison where a guy who had once had an Infinity Stone was cooling his heels. We still don’t know what her goal was, exactly, or how she was able to track him, but my guess is she either wanted to kill Aemon or kidnap him in order to interrogate him. Why? I would guess that she wanted to find out what had happened to the Stone and possibly either to punish him for his failure or keep him from being able to give any more information to anyone. And none of that is consistent with how we think Thanos would operate.”

“Maybe she decided to interpret his orders in a more discreet way. After all, she was by herself,” Bruce offered.

“Yes, exactly. But _why_ is she by herself? That’s my point,” Tony countered. “We know Thanos has other people to do his dirty work, like this Black Order. We know he has ships, whole armies. I know we didn’t kill _all_ the Chitauri, for example. So why not take those, or whoever else he’s got on the payroll, so to speak? He sent the Chitauri with Loki, after all. Why send one lonely operative to a place that has already destroyed an army? If I were him, I’d send an even bigger army.”

“That’s a good point,” Strange agreed. Thor and Hope nodded as well.

“So she’s either doing this _for_ Thanos on the sly – to gain favor, perhaps – or she’s acting _against_ him. And her general behavior gives more indication of the latter. I mean, if she was working for Thanos, I’d expect more dire threats and righteous posturing and ranting. You know, like Loki did.” He gave an apologetic look in the man’s direction. “I don’t think Nebula is a mindless lackey or a willing follower.”

Tony looked at Rhodey and waited. Rhodey took a moment to consider it, then nodded. “Okay. I see your point. It’s certainly a possibility. The problem is, how can we know for sure? If she is working against Thanos, how do we know that she won’t also work against _us_? Just because she doesn’t want Thanos to kill her or destroy the universe, doesn’t mean she gives a crap about anyone else. Self-preservation is pretty selfish, after all. How do we know we can trust her?”

“We don’t. It’s a risk we have to take,” Tony replied. “But if we can get her help, it’s too good an opportunity to pass up.”

“Perhaps we can offer her a similar deal to what we did with Loki,” Vision suggested.

“But we don’t know what she wants, apart from possibly not ending the universe,” Hope countered.

“Then we’ll ask her.” It was Loki who spoke this time. “Maybe I can talk to her again. Alone, this time. We might be able to establish some common ground, and maybe I can learn a bit more about her and whether she is a potential ally.”

“I guess it’s worth a shot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think in canon the Black Order and the Children of Thanos are the same thing, but for the purpose of this fic, I'm making the two are separate groups. Just in case anyone was wondering.


	3. Alliance

The next day, Loki went to speak to Nebula again. The Avengers and the Panel had spent several hours discussing what they might be able to tell Nebula to convince her to help them. There was a fine line to be walked between giving her too much information they didn’t want to fall into the wrong hands, in case she really was loyal to Thanos, and persuading her that they stood a chance against a being that had already decimated countless planets. They had decided to share that they knew the whereabouts of some of the Infinity Stones, since it was likely that Thanos already possessed that information, though they were only going to mention the ones Thanos knew about: the Mind Stone in the scepter, the Space Stone in the Tesseract and the Soul Stone Nebula had come after. Time they would keep quiet about, as well as Reality (the Aether).

The other thing they could talk about was the invasion that Loki had led, which had resulted in the annihilation of most of the Chitauri fleet. Even if the Chirauri were not the strongest species in the universe, they did represent a considerable threat, particularly to a planet reputed to be as primitive as Earth. The fact that the humans had been able to defeat them as thoroughly had to be a good point in their favor. And that was with the original formation of the Avengers, which was much weaker than the current one.

Loki had asked Friday to tell Nebula he was coming, so she was waiting for him when he entered the cell block. Despite the fact that Loki had been housed at the Tower and not the Compound, he couldn’t help remember being at the mercy of the humans when he had first arrived. He’d had just as much to lose as Nebula, he thought, and yet things had turned out pretty well for him.

“I once stood where you are,” he told her. “A prisoner of the humans.” It seemed like a good place to start, since it was clear how far he had come since then. “As you know, I was tasked with getting the Tesseract for Thanos many years ago.” It felt like an entire lifetime ago; so much had happened since then, both good and bad.

“You lost,” she said, face devoid of any expression.

“I never intended to win,” he replied. “I merely wanted to survive. I must admit, though, that I did not expect the humans to offer much challenge. My plan was to make a spectacle of myself to attract Asgard’s attention. I thought _they_ might be able to stop the Chitauri.” He had not been aware that the Bifrost hadn’t yet been rebuilt at that point – being in the void and then at Thanos’s hands had completely messed his sense of time – so Odin would not have been able to send his troops even if he had wanted to, and Loki was not sure he did. It had worked out all right anyway, though. Better, perhaps, since he had inadvertently brought the Avengers together.

“I severely underestimated the humans,” he continued when it became clear that Nebula didn’t have much to say. “I had no idea they had the kind of weapons and warriors they do.” It had been mostly luck that by destroying the mothership all the Chitauri died as well, but there was no need to mention that. Nor was there need to mention that the nuke that Tony had carried through the portal had not been intended for that, and without his intervention would have simply destroyed the city of New York while doing nothing for the portal or the actual invaders. “Only a handful of humans was able to stop the invasion.” Mostly because the small portal didn’t allow many leviathan ships to cross at once and was closed quickly, which was what he had intended. Again, she didn’t need to know that. “One of the warriors of this world was able to destroy a few leviathans all by himself with a single blow.” The Hulk really was impressive, and might be a match even for Thanos (as long as the latter didn’t have the Stones, of course).

That last part got her interested, Loki could tell.

“That’s impossible,” Nebula said.

Loki smiled. “See for yourself. Friday, if you would, please.” He got his phone out of his pocket and held it out.

A holographic projection with footage from the battle appeared. Friday had selected images from the Hulk, Iron Man and Thor making short work of the Chitauri. Those three had been responsible for the majority of the damage done to their enemies, of course. The Captain, the archer and spider had taken out a few Chitauri as well, but not nearly as many as the other three as they had been mostly on the gound. And since they were no longer Avengers, there was no need to include them.

Nebula watched with surprise as unassuming Banner turned into the Hulk and smashed a leviathan with ease, Thor fried a few dozen Chitauri – and one of the leviathans – with his lightening and Iron Man blew through a ship and a whole bunch of Chitauri.

Loki, who had seen all these images before, focused on Nebula, and it seemed she was beginning to believe that they could put their money where their mouths were, as the saying went. She had been skeptical, but seeing the might of the Avengers seemed to give her hope. Still, she remained reserved.

“That is impressive, but it won’t mean much if Thanos gets his hands on the Stones,” she said at last.

“True, but Thanos does not have the Stones yet. If we strike now, we might have a chance.”

She considered it. “How do you propose to do that?”

“Well, despite their weapons, the humans do not have ships. You do.”

At the moment, their tentative plan was to get a small group on Nebula’s ship and take the fight to Thanos. For that, though, they would need her knowledge and cooperation.

“You want my ship? What makes you think you’ll be able to fly it?” There was doubt in her voice, yet Loki thought he was getting closer to an agreement.

“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem. We have people studying the ship now, and I’m certain we can figure it out.”

“And if I agree to this, what will I gain?”

Loki kept his expression neutral, but inside he was grinning in satisfaction.

“As I said, the humans are a formidable force. Even though I once fought against them, they have given me the opportunity to join them against a common enemy. They have, in fact, welcomed me into their group.” Nebula had, like him, probably never had much in the way of friends. Perhaps she was as starved for it as Loki had been. “Of course, I had to prove myself first, by providing them with information and pledging to fight beside them. No doubt you can come to a similar arrangement. Why don’t you tell us what you want? Besides Thanos’s death, of course.”

The question seemed to stump her. Perhaps she was not familiar with how contracts worked. Loki did not imagine Thanos had ever given her much, or allowed her to negotiate with anyone. Why negotiate if one could just murder and threaten to get what one wanted?

“If you like, you can see the contract I myself signed when I came to this world, as an example of what I’m talking about. I can provide you with a copy of it and explain it to you.”

She hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Things were definitely looking promising. “I’ll return shortly. Is there anything else you need at the moment?”

“I’m fine,” she replied. She stepped back, trying to seem detached. Loki was familiar with that tactic, so he didn’t call her on it. It would take time for her to trust them, just as it had for him.

He inclined his head in farewell and walked out to report his progress to the others. Maybe they’d get to put their crazy plan in motion after all.

*****

The room Nebula stood in was spacious – and crowded. It seemed a lot of humans were anxious to hear what she had to say. It was… unnerving. Nebula had never been good with words, and she’d never done any kind of public speaking. Usually, she did her talking with her swords or fists. Violence was the only language she was familiar with.

Over the last several days, however, she had learned a lot about how humans did things, and talking seemed to be the most important one. She had never had so many conversations in her life as she had done in preparation for being here, before this Panel who had the power to make the decisions. She had met – and talked to – many of the so-called Avengers, the heroes who had defeated the Chitauri, including those she had seen in the recording. Despite the fact that they knew who she was, they had been… nice. Nebula didn’t know what to think of them, really.

The head of the Panel called everyone to attention so the meeting could begin, and Nebula shifted nervously.

“It’s okay. You just have to tell them what you told us,” Friday said.

While these days Nebula was more machine than flesh, she had still been surprised to learn that this planet had sentient machines (Artificial Intelligences, they were called) like Friday and Jarvis. If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would not have believed such a thing was possible. Yet here Friday was, standing beside her with some of the other Avengers.

At first, Nebula hadn’t realized Friday wasn’t flesh and blood. Sure, the AI looked a little different from the other humans, but since Nebula didn’t know much about their species, she didn’t think much of it. Then Friday had explained what she was and that she had been assigned to answer Nebula’s questions (and guard her). The others, Friday said, were busy with various other things, but they thought Nebula would prefer to speak to someone she could see. Jarvis, who was Friday’s ‘brother’, did not have a physical body for social interaction, only the armored suit he used for combat situations.

“Boss has offered to make him one too, like he did for me, but Big Brother says he doesn’t need it,” Friday had said with a shrug. “Me, I like having a physical presence. It’s nice, though I don’t use it all the time. That would be exhausting.”

So Friday had stayed close by, escorting Nebula around the Compound for meetings. She had explained all the details of how things were done, including the need for the whole Panel to be present when Nebula told them what she knew about Thanos. Nebula had already told the Avengers a lot – and they certainly knew a lot more than she had expected – but the Panel wanted to be able to ask her questions themselves.

The contract she had signed with the humans was, in the end, fairly simple. In exchange for information about Thanos and the use of her ship, they would provide her with some tech she needed (that Stark would adapt to work for her) and the possibility of refuge on their planet if she wanted it (provided she abided by their laws). At the moment, she didn’t think it would be an issue, since she didn’t anticipate being alive for much longer if Thanos managed to fulfill his plans, but it was nice to know she would have a place to go if she somehow survived. A place that she had found by herself, where she wouldn’t have the shadow of Thanos and her past hanging over her. Perhaps Gamora would even come to visit, since Quill was from Earth.

The humans were really quite confident in their ability to take on Thanos, and she knew that they were already making plans for an attack. If she had not seen the fight against the Chitauri, she would not have thought that they had the slightest chance. Plus, they had some of the Stones, which meant that Thanos did not. As long as they could get to him before he gathered the others, there was a possibility of victory.

It was that possibility that had made her decide to help them. She was tired of living in fear of Thanos – directly or indirectly, if he achieved his goal. More than revenge, she wanted to be free of him.

If she had to die, she would prefer to do so fighting.

Hope was a dangerous thing, but so was hopelessness. She was tired of the latter while she’d never had much of the former. As scary as it was, she had decided to take a chance and see where it went.

“Ms Nebula, are you ready to begin?” the guy in charge asked.

Nebula nodded and squared her shoulders.

It was pretty much what she had already told the Avengers in various previous meetings after she had signed her contract, only this time the Panel asked the questions. While some were the same as the Avengers had asked, there was also some new ones. She had been worried that they’d want to know details about her life and what Thanos had done to her (or had her do in his name), but they focused on Thanos’s forces and goals.

She told them about the Black Order, their abilities and skills, as well as all the other people Thanos got to do his dirty work sometimes. Some were coerced into it, others were promised great rewards for their services, and some just wanted and excuse to kill or steal. She told them about the Chitauri and the Outriders, both of them engineered races bred for fighting. She did not know _who_ had engineered them, and, frankly, she did not want to know. Thanos either paid for them or was given a battalion of them as tribute. Her part in his plans had always been more… personal. She, Gamora and the Black Order went after specific people who had displeased Thanos in some way, or those who had something he wanted, like information about the Infinity Stones. Getting his hands on all six of them had been his main objective since she could remember. He was obsessed, and was willing to do anything to get them.

“But why?” someone on the Panel asked. “What does he want them for?”

“To have power over the whole universe.” Even when she was still trying to convince herself that making Thanos happy was a good thing, the thought of him actually succeeding had always sent shivers down her spine.

“But to what end? To rule it? You can’t control the entire universe,” someone else said.

Nebula clenched her hands. “He is insane.” It had taken her a really long time to truly accept that fact, but now she could see it clearly. “He wants to remake the universe. But before that he has to destroy the current one, and he thinks by doing so he will be paying tribute to Death.”

“Death? What do you mean Death?”

“He believes Death is an entity that will favor him if he can show her his devotion.”

There was a stunned disbelief after that sentence, and Nebula didn’t blame them. It was insane, even though Thanos could make it sound less so. His conviction in his own righteousness was uncanny.

“But… There is no such entity as Death, is there?” the head of the Panel asked. He turned to Loki and Thor.

“There are myths about Death, but it is not how you humans think of it,” Loki replied. “Death is simply an aspect of the universe, like Space or Time. While some cultures around the universe believe in it as a sort of… deity, it doesn’t mean it’s real. And _if_ such an entity does exist, it would _not_ want this kind of… sacrifice. Death is about balance, and there would be none in slaughtering the universe.”

“As I said, he is insane,” Nebula repeated. For all that Thanos had always bragged about how he was laying gifts at Death’s feet whenever he destroyed a planet, Nebula had never seen any indication that Death (if she existed) was at all pleased with these gifts. The few people who had dared point that out, however, had not lived long after Thanos became aware of their words.

After a lot of muttering among the humans, they resumed the questions. “How did the human called Felix Hunter come into possession of one of these Infinity Stones?”

It had taken Nebula quite a bit of time to track the Stone down to this planet, and even longer to actually arrive. Her stolen ship had not been the best to begin with, but then the jump engine had completely burned out, making the journey much slower than it could have been. She had begun to worry that she would be too late.

“Thanos has had people searching for the Stones for a very long time. I believe the one who found the Soul Stone was called Arkit Bula. It seems that he decided to use it to retrieve the Mind Stone as well, since he came into contact with a Terran. He must have believed that, if he had been successful, Thanos would reward him even more handsomely.”

“But then why not come himself? Why send Mr Hunter? And why just leave it when he lost it?”

“Your human ended up in a planet called Sakaar. It can be reached through portals from many worlds, including this one. That is where he met Bula and got the Stone and the mission. Bula was a coward, so I imagine he didn’t want to risk his life trying to get the Mind Stone himself, so he sent Hunter instead. Then Bula did something to displease the Grandmaster, the ruler of Sakaar, and was killed.” She shrugged. From what she heard, his death had been pretty gruesome. The Grandmaster was not the forgiving sort, though not as sadistic as Thanos. Thanos took pleasure in breaking people, the Grandmaster simply wanted to keep his little empire running smoothly.

Nebula had not gone to Sakaar herself, but had gotten the information second hand from traders that went there. While most people who got to Sakaar ended up in the arena – and most died there – a few traders were allowed to go in and out.

“And how did you track Mr Hunter to the prison?”

“Sakaar is a world filled with portals. The energy around those portals leaves a trace in the people that spend a lot of time there. Since I didn’t know if the guy still had the Stone, it seemed finding him was the best way to begin my search.” It would have been better if she could have tracked the Stones themselves, of course. They emitted a distinctive type of energy, she knew, but since she had never come across any of the Stones herself she didn’t know what that pattern was. She had also not been aware that the humans could track her ship, or that they knew as much as they did. Still, perhaps it had been a good thing in the end.

“So Thanos himself doesn’t know where the Soul Stone is right now?”

“I don’t know. Someone could have found this out the same way I did and told him.”

“But he knows the Mind Stone is here?”

“Yes. At least, he knew it _was_ here. Even if he doesn’t know for sure, this would be the first place he’d look.”

“How long do you think it will be before he comes?”

Nebula clenched her jaw and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I don’t think it will be very long. He is closing in on the location of the others. Eventually, he’ll turn his attention to your world.” Even with their weapons and fighters, a Thanos in possession of even one of the Stones would be nearly impossible to defeat. The humans were right. This was their best opportunity. “We have to move quickly.”

*****

“So, are we all in agreement? We’re gonna take the fight to Thanos?” Tony asked the assembled Avengers.

They were in the Tower this time. After the stress of the last couple of weeks since Nebula’s arrival, he had thought that a relaxing night would be a good thing for all of them, so he had invited everyone for dinner at the penthouse, even T’Challa. The former king of Wakanda – like Thor (and what was it with the Avengers taking in stray royals?) – was still only a reserve member, and on probation, but Tony didn’t want him to feel left out. They might not be friends, yet that didn’t mean they couldn’t get together for an amicable meal.

Dinner had been pretty nice, and just what Tony himself needed to help him unwind. Though there had been a few awkward moments, since it was the first time T’Challa had interacted with the whole team in a more social setting, it was nothing terrible. Rhodey and Loki had been perfectly polite, if not very warm. The two of them (plus Jarvis) were the ones still most wary about T’Challa, despite his formal (and seemingly sincere) apology to Tony a few months ago.

After dessert, they had adjoined to the living room to talk a bit more, and the subject had inevitably come to their current new resident and what they were going to do with the information she had provided. They had already done a great deal of discussion about it, and had come up with a tentative plan. It still needed a lot of refinement, and final approval from the Panel, but Tony honestly thought it was the best thing they could do.

“I still think it sounds too much like a suicide mission,” Hope said. “I mean, you’re talking about going to _space_. We have no idea what’s out there. It’s not only Thanos. There are a million things that could do wrong. Even if Nebula is being entirely truthful, how do we know that her information is reliable? Maybe things have changed since she left. We have no idea what we could be walking into.”

“We know that Thanos wants the Stones, and that he knows that some of them are here,” Loki said.

“Exactly. Thanos is going to come here eventually, we know that,” Tony agreed. “Even with our best planetary defenses, that is going to be a nightmare for us. Maybe we won’t be completely wiped out as a planet, but the destruction would be unimaginable. We are not prepared to fend off against an entire fleet. If we wait for Thanos to come, we will be screwed.” He sighed. “I know going is a huge risk, but I think it’s one we have to take.”

Rhodey reached for a beer and took a swig. “Much as I hate to say it, Tony is right. Offense is our best bet in this case. If we take the fight to him we will know for sure that he won’t have the Stones we do.”

“A small group might be able to sneak up on Thanos when he least expects it,” Loki added.

“You’re talking about an assassination,” Bruce said with a small frown.

“Yes,” was Loki’s prompt response. “It’s what needs to be done.”

Hope shook her head. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that.”

“You don’t have to come,” Tony told her. “In fact, no one _has_ to come. If we do this, it will be strictly voluntary.” Tony had a few ideas on who he would _like_ to come, but he would never force anyone. As Hope had said, this could very well be a suicide mission. While they might have accepted the risk when they had joined the Avengers, this was rather a different situation. It was one thing to face a threat here on Earth and quite another to go into the literal unknown in a borrowed ship to face a madman who had already exterminated entire planets. Even if they were successful in the mission, they could be killed in the return voyage from any number of dangers.

“I’ll go,” Loki immediately said. “You’ll need my knowledge.” Loki was definitely a good candidate.

“I will go as well,” Thor added. His tone was more tentative than Tony would have expected. Once, Thor would have said that same sentence as a proclamation. Now, he was aware that he was not the one making the decisions.

A few months ago, Thor had nervously approached him to convey a message he had promised Rogers he would pass on, and that was the first time in a long time that Tony had actively remembered the man. There had been no real anger, though, only indifference. Tony told Thor he would not be speaking to Rogers, and that was the end of it. He didn’t care if the man was sorry, or even if he had learned something during his time in prison. Tony was simply…over it. Thor had seemed a bit sad about it, but he had accepted it easily.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Thor,” Loki told him, then raised a hand before Thor could protest. “You are the heir to the throne of Asgard. If we fail, Asgard will need you to lead them. Odin isn’t up to the task anymore and you know it. You have responsibilities.”

Thor still didn’t look happy, but he agreed with Loki’s reasoning, no hint of violence whatsoever. Tony was genuinely impressed with how far Thor had come since he’d been back. Truthfully, Tony didn’t think Thor would be a good candidate for the mission anyway. They would need stealth and cunning, and those were not exactly Thor’s strong suits. He was the type to just charge in head first, and that could be disastrous in this case.

“So, who else might go?” Rhodey asked, looking at Tony.

“Well, I think so far we have me and Loki,” Tony replied with a nod to Loki.

There was no question at all of him not going. Not only was he the one most qualified to fly an alien ship (yes, Nebula would be with them, but they needed someone else to be able to handle the tech side of things aside from her), but the Iron Man suit could also pack a hell of a punch. With the new nanite suit Tony had recently finished, it was more versatile than ever, and he was the only one actually able to use it to its full potential. War Machine just didn’t have the same capabilities. Plus, as smart as Rhodey was, Tony was known for creating stuff with whatever scraps he could find, and out in space, cut off from their usual resources, that inventiveness would be indispensable.

He glanced around at everyone and noted that no one had disputed his inclusion on the team. His gaze settled back on Rhodey. “I think you need to stay, Honeybear. Someone will need to hold the fort here, and you’re the best qualified for that. Hope can help you in the political front.”

With Tony gone, the Avengers would need a strong leader to coordinate strategy but also to navigate the political minefield they were going to be walking in. No doubt there would be panic and confusion, and the public would need a familiar and trustworthy face to reassure them. In the past few years, Rhodey had built a really strong reputation in the international arena, which would be very important to keep everything going. Hope, while a bit less known, was also a pro at the political game.

Rhodey and Hope nodded.

“I don’t think I can go, Boss,” Friday said.

“No,” Tony agreed. “You and Jarvis will be at a great disadvantage out there.” They would still be able to operate a suit, but they would be severely limited by being _only_ in it. “And Vision needs to be as far from Thanos as possible.”

“I was going to say that,” Vision agreed. “It is not prudent for me to leave.”

Actually, that was something they would have to be very careful about. Thanos might know that the Mind Stone was on Earth, but it was unlikely that he knew it was now part of a sentient being. Tony wondered if there was a way of disguising it somehow. They knew the Stones could be tracked by their energy signature. It was something to think about.

Bruce cleared his throat a little awkwardly. “I’m not sure putting the Hulk in a small ship is such a good idea. It could be… problematic.”

“You’re underestimating yourself, Bruce,” Tony replied. “I think you’d be a great addition to the team. Both parts of you.” He really wished Bruce would agree to come. Hulk ‘puny godding’ Thanos into the ground would be a sight to behold. The Hulk was their strongest fighter, and Bruce was their next best tech guy after Tony himself. Perhaps Tony could talk to him later. If what he was worried about was being in the ship, there were ways they could prepare and make sure Big Green would be comfortable. Though, honestly, Tony didn’t think that would be a problem at all.

“I believe my expertise would be useful as well,” Strange said, despite the fact that he did not seem particular eager to be part of the mission.

“I agree,” Tony said. “Strange is both a sorcerer and a doctor, and we could do with those two things. I mean, we already got Loki on the magic side, but Strange’s abilities are different.”

“What about me?” T’Challa said. He was the only one left.

Honestly, although he didn’t want to be the one to say it, Tony couldn’t see how the Black Panther would be very useful for the mission. It had nothing to do with their rather negative past interaction, it was a simple fact. Unlike the others on board so far, Black Panther was a close range fighter. His suit was durable, but most of its function was to protect its wearer. Sure, T’Challa was stronger than a regular human, but not by that much – certainly not enough to make a difference against an opponent like Thanos or the Black Order. Strange might be a regular human too, but his magic gave him long range offensive capabilities as well as defensive ones, both of which would be very useful.

There was a short uncomfortable silence until Hope spoke.

“I think you’ll be able to help us more here, coordinating plans with Wakanda and helping us with any vibranium-based tech we can get.”

It was a very diplomatic way to refuse him, and Tony was impressed. She didn’t even mention that he was still on probation – which was a good tactic, since that had not been mentioned in Thor’s case.

T’Challa inclined his head in acknowledgement and said nothing else. Tony could see, though, that the young prince would have tried to argue some more if he didn’t know his position was so precarious already.

“So, should we take the idea to the Panel tomorrow?”

There were murmurs of assent from everyone.

While he didn’t think the Panel would have any objections to the plan, there were other people to consider. Tony could not imagine his parents were going to be happy about him going to space. Pepper, Happy and the bots would probably not be thrilled either. None of his friends would be, of course.

However, this was bigger than them. Bigger than Tony or the Avengers. It wasn’t about being a hero, it was about doing whatever they could to have a chance to win.

He hoped they would understand.

And that we would come back to them in the end.


	4. Left behind

T’Challa left the meeting in low spirits. The Panel had approved the Avengers’ plan and the mission to go after the remaining Stones before Thanos could find them. He would not be joining the group going to space. Though he had participated in the discussions and heard all the reasons for the choice on who would go and who would stay, and he understood why such decisions had been made, he could not help but feel snubbed.

In the six months he had been a reserve member of the Avengers, T’Challa had only been involved in one mission – and he had had to fight to be included in that. It had been a joint effort from the Counter Terrorist Task Force and the Avengers, cracking down on a few Hydra remnants who had somehow acquired alien-enhanced weapons. Truthfully, the task Force could probably have handled it themselves, but it was good PR to involve a few Avengers in things like that. It was always good to show the public that the Accords were effective and served to help everyone, Avengers and regular law enforcement alike. Originally, the only ones selected for that mission had been Jarvis and Hope – or rather, Iron Legion and Wasp, since the Task Force had insisted on using code names (which T’Challa thought was silly; after all, it wasn’t like the Avengers’ identities were a secret). When he’d heard about it, T’Challa had requested to be included. He knew the Panel and the Avengers had not been entirely sold on his membership in the first place, but how was he to prove he could be a valuable asset if he was never given the chance to do anything? That mission had seemed like the perfect opportunity: it was low-risk, straightforward and well-suited for T’Challa’s abilities. Thankfully, Rhodes had, after T’Challa had lain in his reasons, agreed.

The mission itself had gone perfectly according to plan, and the criminals and their illegal weapons apprehended fairly easily. The Avengers had worked under the Task Force commander and provided assistance as directed. In all honestly, it had not really been what T’Challa had expected, but he knew he could not complain. Afterwards, he had written his report and spoken to Rhodes about it. As far as T’Challa could tell, there had been no issues with his performance. It had given him hope that more missions would follow.

That had been two months ago, and there had been nothing for him since. The Avengers had been called to assist in relief efforts for two natural disasters, and T’Challa had been left behind. While he understood that, realistically, it was not something he was particularly suited for, it would have been nice to be there, even if only to help coordinate with local forces. That task, however, had fallen to Friday. His only consolation was that Thor had not been included either, which made him feel less singled out.

This, however, was an entirely different situation. The Avengers would be going into combat, and that was precisely what the Black Panther was for. Or at least, he had always believed so. Was that still the case when they were dealing with aliens and whatever technology was out there, though? Abilities like Iron Man’s and Loki’s were better suited for the mission ahead, he could understand. And where did that leave him? Once again, it was disheartening to realize that the powers of the Black Panther were no longer the most useful – that T’Challa himself was not that useful.

T’Challa returned to his temporary quarters in the Compound and called Shuri. All world leaders had been alerted about the current crisis, and the Avengers and Panel’s plan to engage Thanos directly. It would take time to prepare for the mission, and Wakanda might be able to offer tech that could aid the away team. Shuri would be contacted by the Panel directly, of course, but T’Challa wanted to give his sister a heads up. And, if he was being honest, he could use a friendly ear.

“How are you, brother?” Shuri asked, eying him critically.

“The Panel has approved the mission,” he said.

Shuri nodded, expression sober. “I see.”

“Stark, Loki, Strange, Banner and the alien woman, Nebula, are going. The rest of us will remain to defend the planet.” T’Challa didn’t think he had quite managed to disguise the bitterness in his tone.

“Good,” Shuri replied.

“Good?”

“Yes, of course. Earth cannot be left undefended.” She narrowed her eyes a little. “And, from a purely selfish perspective, I am glad you are not going. It might very well be a suicide mission, and I would rather not lose my only remaining family.”

The words were not spoken harshly, yet they hit the mark anyway as the reproach they were intended to be. T’Challa was being selfish and self-centered. Again. It was something he had been struggling with these past six months. The mandated therapy, while uncomfortable, had opened his eyes to some of his shortcomings. Still, it was not always easy to recognize when he was falling into old patterns of thought. Fortunately, Shuri knew him well enough to see through him.

“Of course, sister.” He sighed and looked away, ashamed of himself.

“I’m sure it’s not a slight against you, T’Challa. You have to admit that the Black Panther would not be the best candidate for such a mission. You will still have an important job to do here. Some unscrupulous person or persons might take this opportunity to cause trouble.”

“I know.”

Shuri was right. It wasn’t like he would be just left to twiddle his thumbs. If something did happen, it was likely that T’Challa would be called upon, if only because there would be fewer Avengers to choose from. Not that he _wished_ for something to happen, of course, but…

It did sting a little that he had also not been considered for any diplomatic tasks. Back when the Avengers had first discussed the mission and who would go, Tony had appointed Rhodes and Hope to fill that role. He hadn’t even considered T’Challa, even though he had actually studied diplomacy and politics.

 _And I’m being self-centered again_ , he thought. Of course Tony didn’t consider him. T’Challa had acted like a fool, making the most extraordinary diplomatic blunders possible. Hell, he had indirectly cost people their lives with his short-sightedness. It was no wonder no one wanted him near politics. Part of the reason he had abdicated the throne was because he knew the rest of the world would simply refuse to deal with him in any diplomatic capacity.

 _Will I ever be free of my mistakes?_ He wondered.

T’Challa shook his head and focused back on the conversation. “The Panel wants to know if Wakanda has any tech that could be of use, so I told them I would speak to you directly.” At least that was something he could do, a way to contribute (if only as message boy).

“I will send you the specs for some things we have been working on, and you can show the Avengers. Perhaps Dr Stark will have some more ideas.”

T’Challa nodded. “Thank you, Shuri.”

“Really, brother. Don’t feel bad. There will be plenty to do here. And I’m sure you’ll do great with whatever tasks you are given.”

It grated only a little bit that his younger sister was the one trying to console him. Mostly, though, he was actually grateful for her support. Shuri could have made his life a lot more miserable if she was a different type of person. Instead, she had helped him when she could – and given him a firm kick in the ass when he needed it.

One of the things his therapist had pointed out to him was that he had grown up in a very sheltered environment where he had been, for the most part, free of criticism. Except for the members of his family (his father, Shuri and his mother while she’d been alive), no one had ever really dared to call T’Challa out on his arrogance and superiority. And even among them T’Challa had only listened to his father. Shuri was younger and therefore T’Challa had felt that criticism from her was beneath him and his mother had died when he was a teenager, before most of his bad behavior had really set in. All that made it harder for him to accept his failures now. There was a part of him (the royal brat part) that bristled at any perceived criticism, no matter how true it was. In fact, it was worse when it was true.

“You don’t need to be right all the time,” Dr Hilton had said. “It’s okay to make mistakes. We all make them. As long as you can learn from them, you’re going in the right direction.” T’Challa hoped that the lesson would really sink in one of these days.

“You’re right, sister,” T’Challa said. He _could_ learn from his mistakes. He would do what Rhodes needed him to, accept whatever role he was given. They all had an important part to play, those who were going and those who were staying. It wasn’t about him and his ego. “Thank you.”

Shuri smiled and they said their goodbyes.

It was stupid to feel left out, T’Challa thought. He had not been slighted. It wasn’t about him personally, but about allocating resources to where they could be best utilized.

 _I can still be useful – and I will be_.

*****

It was all over the news: the Avengers were going on a mission in space. Well, some of the Avengers. When the announcement was made by the Avengers’ PR representative, it was made very clear that the Earth would not remain unprotected. Now that they had several new members (and the Iron Legion), it was perfectly possible to send a group somewhere and still have personnel left to cover whatever else might happen.

Steve didn’t know how he felt about any of it.

He had watched the news along with his fellow inmates and had not been able to think of a single thing except that he should be there.

He had laid in bed all night afterwards, once again going over the events that had led to his imprisonment. He knew now, more or less, where he had gone wrong. He should have told Tony the truth about his parents as soon as he had suspected they had been murdered. He shouldn’t have kept the Bucky missions secret. He should have taken the time to listen to what the world was saying when the Accords had been proposed instead of reacting emotionally and rejecting them outright. He should have realized his judgment was compromised when it came to Bucky and stepped down as Natasha had told him to. He shouldn’t have dragged Clint, Wanda and Scott into what was, in fact, a personal crusade and not a mission to save the world (despite what he had told himself at the time). He should have trusted Tony and found a way to deal with the situation together. He shouldn’t have let things escalate the way they had at the airport. He shouldn’t have fought Tony in Siberia, and he should _definitely_ not have left him behind.

And before all that… He should have thought more about the consequences of his actions. The Info Dump, adding Wanda to the team, blaming Tony for Ultron and using it as an excuse to push him away… There were so many things he had done wrong it was overwhelming to think about it all.

There were times he wondered if it wouldn’t have been better if he’s simply stayed in the ice. It was not a new thought – it had come and gone ever since he had awakened in this time – but sometimes it was more prominent than others. Times when he was confronted by his mistakes, mostly.

Still, it was no use thinking like that. Dr Gibson kept saying that he had to focus on the present, but it was hard when his present consisted of restrictive walls and isolation. Of uselessness.

And now… The Avengers had an important mission that Steve wasn’t going to be part of because he was no longer an Avenger – and probably would never be again.

Of all the things he had lost – and he had lost pretty much everything – being part of the Avengers hurt the most, in some ways. Being a soldier and fighting – standing up for what was right – was all he had ever wanted to do. When he’d become Captain America it had seemed like all his dreams had come true. He had finally been the person he had always wanted to be: strong, respected, admired, someone who _mattered_. Then he had gone into the ice, and everything had changed (in truth, it had changed before that, when he had lost Bucky). After waking up in the future, he had still clung to the mantle of Captain America, but it hadn’t been the same. The world had changed and Steve no longer felt like he belonged – except from when he was on the field, when there was an enemy to defeat. That had been the only thing that had made sense to him.

Perhaps that was why he had had so much trouble with everything that _wasn’t_ the fight, why the Accords had felt so threatening. It had seemed like they wanted to take it from him, the one thing he could do, the one thing he was good at.

Except… had he really been as good as he’d believed? Through his sessions with Dr Gibson, Steve had realized that he had never been particularly good at seeing things from any perspective different from his own, or seeing the big picture. The latter was something Tony had always talked about – and something Steve had always dismissed.

From what he understood of what the news were reporting, the mission the Avengers were going on had to do with gathering information about the aliens behind the 2012 invasion. It hadn’t been Loki alone. Loki had, apparently, been coerced and mind-controlled into those actions by someone else, and that someone else was still out there, possibly planning another incursion. It was exactly what Tony had been trying to tell them after the invasion, during the whole Ultron mess. And Steve had ignored him. Tony had talked about preparing for something else, something bigger, and Steve had foolishly (and arrogantly) told him that they would deal with it if it came – together.

That word haunted him now. There was no together anymore. Though Steve had once accused Tony of breaking the Avengers, it had actually been Steve who had doomed the team. The team as it had been, at least. There was a new team now, with a new definition of together in which Steve was not included.

There was no together for Steve anymore. He had no one.

He walked into Dr Gibson’s office in low spirits and took his usual seat. He wanted to cry, but he would not allow the tears to fall. He still had his dignity, after all.

“Is there anything you want to talk about, Steve?” the doctor asked.

Steve shook his head. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to get any words out even if he tried.

“I imagine you saw the announcement about the Avengers. How do you feel about that?”

“I should be there.” He hadn’t meant for the words to slip past his lips – and was surprised he could speak at all over the lump in his throat. Then he thought about what he had said and cringed. He had been over his sense of entitlement with Dr Gibson before – just because he wanted something, it didn’t mean that he would (or should) get it.

“The Avengers have acted many times in the past few years and you have never said anything like this. Why is this mission different?”

That was a good question. Although Steve got a pang in his heart every time he saw the Avengers doing something in the news, this time it was worse. This time it actually felt like… punishment.

And that was incredibly self-centered of him, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like Tony and the others had set this up to rub it in Steve’s face. They were doing it to protect the planet. It was Steve’s own fault that he had fucked up so badly that he was no longer trusted to be there with them. They had started the Avengers together (there was that dreaded word again) but it wasn’t going to end that way. The Avengers would save the day without Steve – and they probably wouldn’t even miss him (or think about him) as they did it.

“Steve?” Dr Gibson prompted when the silence had stretched out too long.

“I don’t know. It just… is.”

“Is it because this mission seems to be a continuation of a fight that you were involved in?”

“Maybe. Yes. I guess so.” He looked away from the doctor, eyes running through the books lining the shelves in the small office just for something to do. “Tony… He talked about this before. There being someone else behind the invasion,” he said, and it felt like he was confessing a sin. “I didn’t listen. I thought he just… wanted attention or something.”

Why had he always thought the worst about Tony? Steve had never felt that way about any of the others – not even Wanda, and he really should have. With Tony, he could never just take things at face value. He always looked for ulterior motives and deception. He had trusted Sam on sight, without actually knowing anything about him. He had trusted Natasha even though he had known about her less than stellar past. Hell, he had trusted Wanda despite everything she had done to them, just because a part of him had empathized with her situation (or what he had believed had been her situation). But Tony… No matter what he did, Steve was always suspicious.

“Why didn’t I believe him?”

“I don’t know, Steve. Why do you think?”

Steve huffed. “If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you.” It was petulant, but Steve was not in a good mood.

Gibson ignored his tone. “I can offer some possibilities, but I cannot know your mind.”

“Fine.”

“Well, it could be that the possibility that he was right was too frightening to contemplate. If another invasion did happen, there would be no guarantee of a second victory. The idea of being powerless in the face of that was uncomfortable to you, so it was easier to dismiss it altogether.”

Steve considered it. He thought back to those days. Had he felt powerless during the invasion? He didn’t think so, perhaps because it had all been over too fast for him to really think about it. They had won, and it had made him feel good about himself.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I was confident in us then. In myself.” At least when it came to fighting. Everything else had been a mess. “I really believed that, whatever happened, we would win.” He had been very naïve, he could see that now. No wonder Tony had been exasperated with him.

“All right. Then perhaps what bothered you was Tony himself rather than what he said.”

“Yes, but _why_?” Again he sounded like a whiny child.

Gibson cocked his head and sighed. “I cannot tell you that, Steve. But that is something we should talk about more.” They had already talked about it, and it had always made Steve fell uncomfortable. Maybe that was why he didn’t think they’d ever gotten anywhere with those conversations. “Right now, though, I want to go back to the matter of why this Avengers mission is affecting you so much. You feel as if you are being excluded from something you are part of, and it hurts.”

Steve nodded. “I thought we would do it together.” God, he was starting to hate that word. “And instead I’m here and they are… there. It’s like I don’t matter anymore.”

“I understand how frustrating it must be,” Gibson said, and Steve gritted his teeth at the attempt at sympathy.

Steve said nothing to that, though he was pretty sure that Gibson didn’t have the slightest idea how it felt to lose his entire life. But it was Steve’s own fault, wasn’t it? Steve had made all the decisions that had led him here. He had once thought that he knew what he was doing, that he had done the best he could under the circumstances he’d found himself in. He’d thought he’d had no choice but to oppose the Accords, to do whatever was necessary to protect Bucky. He’d thought that, because he was doing the right thing, that everything would be all right in the end. Instead, he’d ended up in prison, along with everyone who had taken his side, not because of any injustice, but because he _was_ guilty.

He had no one to blame but himself. It was his own arrogance and unwillingness to see outside of himself that had led to his downfall.

“Let’s talk about what you can do to work through these feelings,” Gibson went on.

At their next session, Steve had to admit that nothing the doctor had suggested had helped much. On the contrary, the sense of failure and helplessness had only intensified.

The Accords Panel had released more information about the Avengers’ upcoming mission, including who would be in it. Iron Man would lead the mission, accompanied by the Hulk, Dr Strange, Loki and the alien ally whose ship they were using, though no details of the alien were given for security reasons.

It did not surprise Steve that Tony was going, of course. He was pretty much the leader of the Avengers, and the most experienced super hero. Plus, his skills with technology made his presence crucial. The Hulk was also an obvious candidate, considering his strength and invulnerability – and Bruce’s own abilities as a scientist. Dr Strange was a magic user and a medical doctor, so he had plenty to contribute. Loki, though…

Steve still had trouble seeing Loki as anything other than an enemy, even though he knew he was being unreasonable. When Loki had first been announced as an Avenger, Steve had been utterly appalled and had ranted at length to Dr Gibson. The doctor had then calmly reminded him that Steve had accepted Wanda on the team – had, in fact, defended her until her trial had brought up incontrovertible evidence that she wasn’t who he’d thought – despite the fact that she had used her powers against them and tried to kill them. There was also evidence that Loki had not acted of his own volition during the invasion, so if Steve insisted, as he always had, that Bucky could not be blamed for the murders committed by the Winter Soldier, the same principle should apply to Loki. Steve’s reaction had been to declare that the two situations were entirely different, but then he had been unable to articulate why, except that Bucky was his friend and Loki was a stranger. Because, actually, there was no difference at all.

His objections were irrelevant, of course. Loki had become an Avenger with full blessing from both the Accords Panel and the Avengers themselves. Even the public had warmed up to him pretty quickly from what Steve had heard. And now he was going off to space with the Avengers in Steve’s place, a trusted member of the team.

It didn’t seem fair.

He knew better than to say so aloud, though. It was selfish and stupid.

“I don’t get why Thor isn’t on the away team,” Steve said instead.

Thor had come to see him a couple more times after his first visit. It was both comforting and disheartening to see him. Thor had been worried about whether he would be approved as an Avenger, and Steve had sympathized. Later, when he saw that Thor had made the team, it had felt… bittersweet. He wondered if Thor felt excluded now, knowing that Loki was going but not him.

“Do you think he should?” Gibson asked.

Did he? Or was Steve just projecting? Of all the New Avengers, Thor was the one Steve identified with the most. “Thor is a skilled warrior.” It was a deflection, but it was all Steve could say at the moment.

“I’m sure he is, but that might not be what is being prioritized in this mission. I would imagine that they are going for skills other than brute strength.”

Steve pursed his lips. He could see what Gibson was driving at. If Steve had still been on the team, would he have been chosen to go? Tony, Bruce, Strange and Loki. Brains and magic, with strength as secondary skill, perhaps. Steve would not have made the cut. There would have been no together one way or another.

He opened his mouth and nothing came out. He had no idea what to say. He felt so lost.

“Steve, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to find out what you’re good at and focus on that.”

“I thought I was a good soldier.” But he wasn’t, was he? He had never been good at following orders because he always thought he could do things better on his own. And anyway, what did it matter now? He was never going to get that back.

“Then perhaps it’s time to think of what else you might be good at. What else you might enjoy doing.”

It was nice of the doctor not to say what a terrible soldier Steve had been. Still, what was the point of coming up with some other thing? He was going to be stuck here for the next 40 years…

His thoughts must have been written all over his face, because the doctor continued. “Your life is not over, Steve. Your old life is gone, yes, but you can still build a new one. It’s up to you.”

Steve shook his head. He thought back to the time he had come out of the ice, and the shock of finding himself in the future. Even with a job, a purpose, friends and the respect of the public (for a time, at least), he had not been able to sort out his life. What chance was there now, when he was all alone?

Together. What a joke.

*****

It had not yet sunk in. It simply couldn’t be. Her only son, her baby boy, could not be going to space to chase after a lunatic who destroyed whole planets. That didn’t make any sense.

Maria took a few deep breaths and tried to get herself under control.

Ever since Tony had told her the plans, she had been having these random moments of… it wasn’t panic, exactly. Unease, perhaps. It was normal, though. Expected. She was his mother, of course she worried about him. So many things could happen out there… It didn’t bear thinking about.

She wanted to tell him not to go. She wanted to _beg_ him not to go. But how could she do that?

It had not been easy to adjust to the future. From her perspective, her whole world had changed in the blink of an eye, and that would have been a tough pill to swallow for anyone. She hadn’t lost everything, of course. Her husband had come along with her – and she would be eternally grateful for that. Not only because it meant she wasn’t alone in all this, but also because it had given them the opportunity to reconnect. And her son was still here. Different – older – but still very much Tony.

It hurt that she had missed so much of his life. That she hadn’t been there when he needed it. Still, she knew how extraordinary a gift her resurrection had been, so she couldn’t complain. She might have missed some things (30 years, to be precise), but at least she was here now. She had been given another chance at life (literally), and she had always been determined to make every minute count.

It had taken Maria (and Howard) some time to get acclimated. There had been a lot to learn (or relearn) and a lot to process regarding the circumstances of their resurrection. And a lot to process about the kind of life that Tony had made for himself. Not that she wasn’t immensely proud of him, or course she was, but it was a risky job. She had known that from the beginning, from when she had first read about the Avengers in a magazine the day after she and Howard had arrived in the future. Reading about it and _seeing_ him out there were different things, though.

She had been lucky, she knew, that there hadn’t been a lot of truly dangerous situations since her arrival. There had been that first fight with that Rhino person back during their first week, then the short confrontation with the ExVengers, and a few other (rather lame) enhanced criminals. Up until now, however, her fears had been more theoretical than real. It had been the _thought_ that being a super hero was dangerous, and the possibility of a new enemy popping up at any moment. Now… Now it was definitely real. It was _here_. And it scared the hell out of her.

“Grandma? Are you okay?”

Friday’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Yes, of course.”

There was a beat of silence, then Friday said: “I’m worried about dad too.”

Maria smiled. Friday might not be flesh and blood, but she was every bit a real person. “He’s going to be fine,” Maria replied. She was trying to convince herself as much as Friday, she knew. “He knows what he’s doing and he’ll have very capable people there with him.” If Tony had to go on an insane mission in space, she could not imagine better companions than the ones that had been selected. Loki, Bruce and Stephen were intelligent, trustworthy and dependable people. They would do their best to both fulfill the mission and keep each other safe. Nevertheless, none of that made her worry any less.

She could not imagine what might be going through Tony’s head now, but she knew she couldn’t burden him with her own fears on top of everything else he was dealing with. With the mission made public, people were putting their hopes on the away team taking care of the unseen threat before it materialized on their doorstep. The pressure the team was under had to be nearly unbearable. How could Maria put even more on her son’s plate? Now more than ever he would need her support.

It was easier said than done, though.

Howard wasn’t faring much better. In fact, he was worse.

“It’s insane, Maria,” he said later that night, right before Tony was supposed to join them for dinner. “Going to space to fight some megalomaniac alien!? We can’t let him go.”

Maria sighed. While she empathized with the sentiment, this kind of ranting would not only not be able to change Tony’s mind, but it had the potential to start a fight. “Howard, please calm down.”

“Calm down? Calm down?! No, I will not calm down.”

“Getting angry isn’t going to make anything better.” She understood the appeal, she really did, and she knew her husband. For him, anger had always been preferable to fear. However, they both knew that this particular coping mechanism had never accomplished anything except make things more difficult. Had he faced his fears and frustrations before in a healthier way, perhaps he wouldn’t have ended up so estranged from Tony – and from Maria as well.

Howard made an inarticulate noise and threw himself on the couch. He put his head in his hands for a moment, then looked back at her. “Don’t you think we should do something about this? Talk to him?”

“And say what, Howard? ‘Don’t go’?” She wanted to say that. She really did. But she knew her son well enough to know that he wasn’t going to step down from this. How could they ask him that? “Do you really think that’s going to do any good?”

He deflated. “No. I know it won’t.” He sounded more like a sulky child than a grown man. “It’s just…” It had been a long time since she had seen that look in his eyes. Despite its initial hardships, their time in the future had been pretty good. Once he had reconciled with Tony, despair and helplessness had been the furthest things from his mind. It hurt to know they were back to such awful uncertainty.

Maria sat next to him and took his hand. Yes, she knew. She knew all too well. They had already missed so much of Tony’s life (Howard more than her, even). The prospect of losing him now was intolerable.

The elevator doors opened and Tony stepped out. Instead of his usual excitement, though, he looked serious and tired.

“Hi, mom. Hi, dad.”

Maria couldn’t help herself. She got up and enveloped him in a big hug. “Hi, baby.” She was not going to cry.

 _I need to be strong. For Tony. He needs me to be strong_.

He returned the hug just as fiercely. “Mom…”

After a few awkward moments, he disentangled himself from her. “Guys, we need to talk. I know you’re worried and upset about the mission, but I have to go. I swear I have every intention of coming back.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” Howard said. His tone was almost like an accusation, and Maria braced herself for a fight.

Tony didn’t rise to the bait, though, keeping his voice level. “I know. No one can ever guarantee anything, and certainly not something like that.”

“Then don’t go.”

Tony shook his head. “I told you. I have to. This is what we’ve been preparing for – what _I_ ’ve been preparing for – ever since the end of the invasion. If he comes here with an army we are screwed, dad. This is our best chance. We have to take it.”

Howard knew all that, as did Maria. They had already had this conversation when the decision had been made several days ago. But it hadn’t sunk in, not until it had been made public and became the thing everyone was talking about.

“It doesn’t mean _you_ have to go,” Howard insisted, a mixture of anger and fear in his eyes.

“Please don’t make this harder than it has to be, dad.”

Howard opened his mouth but Maria cut him off. “We’re sorry, honey. We’re just worried. We understand how important this is.” She turned to her husband. “Don’t we, Howard?” The steel in her eyes was enough to get him to back down.

“Yes. Sorry, son. I just… worry.”

“I know. But hey, you guys know me, right?” He said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Whatever life throws at me, I can handle it. I’ve escaped some pretty bad odds before, who says I can’t do it again?”

Maria did her best to return the smile. It was the best reassurance he could give her, she knew. She would just have to have faith that Tony would make it through.


	5. Calm before the storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, just a head's up. Starting with this chapter, the timeline for each chapter (and POVs within the chapter) will overlap. That is, things will happen more or less concurrently. I hope it won't be too confusing. (I have it all written down if you want more information.)

“So, am I going to be allowed to fight? If the invaders come, I mean?” Peter asked Friday. He had been thinking about it since the announcement had been made on TV. Surely Earth’s forces would need all the help they could get, and Peter had powers. If there really was another invasion coming, he could do some good for the planet. Besides, he was now 18 years old and therefore legally an adult. He had also finished high school (with honors, of course).

“I don’t know, Peter. You’re still young. I don’t think the Accords Panel would approve of that.”

“I’m not a child.”

“I know, but… The Accords estipulate that Avenger members need to be at least 21, so…”

“But this would be an exception, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think it would be the Avengers’ decision.”

Peter laid back in his bed, dropping the phone beside him, and sighed.

It had been hard, giving up being Spider-Man. At first, it had felt like a punishment, even though Mr Stark had explained the reasons to him, and Peter could see the points he made. There was still a part of Peter that had resented being told he couldn’t handle it, though. Over the last couple of years, however, he had learned more about the Accords and how they worked, and he realized that he didn’t have the qualifications necessary to be an Avenger. It wasn’t just about having powers, there was a lot of other stuff too – including being at least 21. There was a reason for that clause, and Peter didn’t disagree with it, at least in principle.

It would have been a lot harder to cope these past couple of years, though, if he’d had to forget about being Spider-Man completely. As it were, he had worked out a deal with Mr Stark and Aunt May to train with the Avengers once a week. In a way, it had been better than actually being Spider-Man, because there had been no stakes. He hadn’t been responsible for anyone’s life, and if he messed up, nothing bad would happen. After the mess the ExVengers had left behind in Uganda and during the Civil War (allegedly with the best of intentions), Peter had realized that he had been incredibly lucky not to have caused any disasters while being Spider-Man. There was a lot he had yet to learn about being a superhero, and he was learning from the best. Just because he hadn’t seen the potential issues before didn’t mean they hadn’t been there. After all, Steve Rogers had been convinced he was doing the right thing too, and look how that had turned out.

Still, this was an emergency. If the whole planet was a risk, Peter wanted to do his part to defend it – he lived here too.

“Anyway, we’re not there yet,” Friday continued. “Maybe dad and the others will kick this Thanos guy’s ass, and then none of this will even be necessary.”

“Do you think that will happen?” Peter asked. Mr Stark was an amazing guy and a true hero, but he was going up against a really powerful enemy. As much as Peter would like to believe that the good guys would always win, he was not a child anymore, and he knew that wasn’t the way the world actually worked. It would be nice if it were, but sadly things were never that easy.

“I hope so.”

There was a small note of uncertainty in Friday’s voice. “Are you worried, Fri?”

She didn’t answer right away. “Maybe a little bit,” she finally said. “I mean, dad has gone off into space and we aren’t there with him.”

Peter nodded. He thought it was really sweet that Friday thought of Mr Stark as a father. In his most private thoughts, Peter sometimes wished Mr Stark saw him as one of his kids too. Peter loved his aunt, of course, and he’d loved his uncle too, but it wasn’t quite the same. Neither of them really understood Peter the way Mr Stark did.

He couldn’t complain, though. Mr Stark had been nothing but kind to him, taking time out of his busy life to mentor Peter not only in super-heroing but also in science stuff. He loved being an SI intern, and he knew the experience and knowledge he was getting now was going to be really important for his future. (Though perhaps college would have to wait a bit. No way he was going to classes when an alien army might descend on their heads at any moment.) More than that, hanging out in the lab with Mr Stark was _fun_.

Friday sighed. “I wish one of us had gone too. Me, Jarvis or Vision, I mean.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“Well, Viz has the Mind Stone on his head, so it would be really dumb to get him anywhere near this Thanos person.” Right, of course, Peter thought. That made sense. “And Jarvis and I wouldn’t be as effective away from our main servers and everything else we have access to here on Earth,” she continued. “We could pilot a suit, but we would be limited to its sensors and resources.”

“I see. I’m sure Mr Stark will be fine, though. He has the Avengers with him.”

“Some of them, anyway.”

All the more reason for Peter to lend a hand, he thought, if the Avengers were short-staffed. He should talk to Col Rhodes about it.

It was kinda terrifying to know his friends were out there, facing god knew what. Saying goodbye to Mr Stark had been really awful. The others too, sure, but specially Mr Stark. It had felt too much like a permanent goodbye and not a temporary one. _I hope they’ll be okay out there_ , Peter thought. Maybe if he had something to do, it would make it easier to face all of this. Even his excitement about college had dimmed with all this going on.

At least he hoped keeping busy would help. Surely Col Rhodes would understand. He must be freaking out about the Avengers on the mission too.

“Peter! Dinner’s ready!” Aunt May yelled from the kitchen.

Peter got up and picked up the phone to disconnect the call. “Gotta go, Fri.”

“Sure. Good night, Peter. And if you want to talk, you know I’m always here, right?”

“Yeah, I know.” She probably needed someone to talk to as much as he did, Peter figured. “Same to you.”

As much as he wanted to escape the thought of Mr Stark and the others being in danger, it was pretty hard to actually do that. Everywhere he went people were talking about it – in the streets, all over social media and regular media… There were times Peter wanted to scream.

Still, he took some deep breaths and made it through. Aunt May, at least, knew better than to harp on it too much, so being home was about the only refuge he had.

A few days later, he made his way to the Compound, which had become the headquarters for the Avengers, and where the meetings with the Panel happened. He had gotten Friday to make an appointment to talk to Col Rhodes.

“Hi, Peter,” the older man said when Peter walked into the room.

“Hi, Colonel.” Even though Peter had hung out with the Avengers quite a bit over the last couple of years, he still didn’t feel comfortable addressing them too casually. It seemed disrespectful.

“So, what can I do for you?”

“Well, I was just thinking that… I mean, you’re preparing Earth for whoever comes and I… I want to help.”

Rhodes sighed and gestured for Peter to sit.

“I appreciate your offer, Peter, but you’re still too young.”

“But it’s an emergency! I can’t just sit at home doing nothing. I’ve got powers. I can be useful in a fight. And I’m an adult now. I’m old enough to join the military if I wanted to. This isn’t that different.”

“I know, Peter, but it’s far too dangerous.”

“It will be more dangerous if the invaders destroy the planet,” Peter retorted. He had come prepared to argue his case and that was exactly what he was going to do. “I know I can’t be an official Avenger now, that’s not what I’m asking. I’m just saying, for this specific situation, there should be an exception to the regular rules. I mean, you’re already down some of your heaviest hitters with Iron Man and Hulk gone. Plus Loki and Strange, they pack quite a punch too. You need more people, and preferably people with abilities. I’m strong, I’m fast and I’m pretty resilient. I’ve also trained with you guys, so I’m more qualified to fight beside you than whichever other applicants are close to being approved. Furthermore, I know Mr Stark made me a new suit – for an emergency, he said – that is way better than the one I’ve got now.” Friday had, somewhat reluctantly, told him about that, which Peter was of course going to milk for all it was worth. “I’m pretty sure _this_ is the emergency he was thinking about.” Mr Stark had been worrying about this invasion since the end of the last one, after all.

For a while, the Colonel said nothing, just studying Peter quietly. Then he sighed. “I know about the suit. Tony told me.” He looked away, and Peter could see how much all of this was weighing on his shoulders. “Does your aunt know about this?”

“Yes.” He had talked to her last night. She had not been happy in the least, but she understood. In a way, she had probably been preparing herself for something like this for the past 2 years. She had also called Mrs Stark later, and Peter had heard the two of them crying on the phone. He’d felt kind of bad. Still, he knew he was doing the right thing – and so was Mr Stark.

Col Rhodes nodded. “All right. I’ll talk to the Panel. If they give the okay, you’ll be a temporary Avenger.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“You’re a good kid, Peter.” Rhodes smiled, a little sadly. “Let’s hope we all survive this.”

“Yeah.”

Maybe Peter would be able to help with that.

*****

It had been almost two weeks since the Avengers had left Earth to seek out Thanos and the remaining Infinity Stones. Rhodey would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried. Of course he was – everyone on the planet was –, but Rhodey had faith in his teammates (in his friends). It would have been great if they could communicate with the ship; unfortunately, they did not have the tech for that (yet), so after a few days the satellites could no longer pick up their signal.

It was good that there had been so much to do since then, because it had kept Rhodey (and everyone else) from fretting too much. Now that they knew for certain that Thanos would come – and what kind of forces he would likely bring, thanks to Nebula’s information – the Accords Panel, the Avengers and several world leaders were working around the clock to get their defenses ready. Hopefully, Tony’s mission would be successful in stopping Thanos before he ever got close to Earth. Still, that was not the only possible threat, and they needed to be ready for anything.

The public had been informed of the Avengers’ mission, and, initially, there had been some alarm – and some outright panic too, actually. Rhodey and the remaining Avengers, along with a representative of the Panel, had spent quite some time doing interviews and press conferences to reassure the public that the situation was under control – inasmuch as such things could ever be said to be under control, of course.

Rhodey was really grateful for the trust both the Avengers and the Panel had managed to build with the world. While there were still people who opposed superheroes of any kind, the majority of the public was supportive of them. It had not been easy to get to this point, though, not after the mess of the Civil War. It had taken a lot of hard work by the Avengers and the Panel to establish that trust, and it was now paying off. Things certainly would have been a lot harder if they hadn’t. Rhodey couldn’t even imagine the nightmare it would have been to organize a global response without a framework like the Accords in place. If it had been left to Rogers and his idiotic ‘together’ plan, nothing effective would have been done and the world would have fallen into complete chaos the moment a concrete threat had appeared.

He had worried that they might see an increase in enhanced criminal activity now that some of the Avengers were known to be unavailable, but so far it hadn’t happened. Sure, there had been instances of violence in some parts of the world – protests and a few riots. They had all been handled by local law enforcement, though, and there had been no casualties. It helped, of course, that major corporations like Stark Industries had promised to maintain business as usual. In fact, more job opportunities had been created in certain areas, such as in transportation, factories building all sorts of things, and coordination between various areas/groups, in preparation for a possible crisis. People all over were banding together to organize their communities and ensure that everyone would be protected should another invasion happen.

New Avenger applications had been rushed, and small groups were in the process of being established in other parts of the world. Rhodey had participated in the interviews of several candidates now, and many had shown real promise. Peter’s application for emergency service had been approved by the Panel, so he would be joining the Avengers if Rhodey deemed it necessary. He was really hoping it wouldn’t be, because he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the thought of putting him in that kind of danger, even though he knew that Peter had made a very compelling case for his inclusion. The truth was that Peter was no longer a kid, no matter how used to thinking so Rhodey was.

Basically, a lot of people were working really hard, and things were going as well as it could be expected.

Rhodey had also been pleasantly surprised by the lack of issues with the rest of the Avengers. He had thought that at least Thor and T’Challa might have been unhappy about not going on the mission, yet both had behaved with maturity and professionalism. If they were upset – and they probably were, a little – they said nothing about it, and Rhodey was very glad to have been mistaken in his reservation.

The decision on who to send had been a no-brainer, really. It was obvious who the most qualified people were, those who had the best chance of getting things done. There was no reason for anyone to feel slighted, and Rhodey was happy to see that apparently no one had.

There was some tension around, though, especially in the Tower. Howard and Maria Stark were understandably worried about their son. While Howard had used his new identity to join the various scientific teams around the world working on defensive technologies, Maria hadn’t had a whole lot to do initially. That was, however, until Pepper had stepped up to offer her some tasks related to their new PR campaign to keep panic to a minimum. It was necessary work that utilized her skills and freed Pepper herself to focus on everything SI was doing, which was a _lot_. Still, Rhodey knew it wasn’t enough. No matter how many responsibilities (and distractions) they all had, it wasn’t nearly enough to ease the fear of what might be going on out there in space.

Saying goodbye to the away team had been one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. As a soldier, he knew that every time he went out into a combat situation, he might not return. This time, though, he was the one staying behind while others left to face the unknown dangers of space and a crazy megalomaniac alien. Rhodey had promised, after Afghanistan, that he would always have Tony’s back, and he had been forced to break that promise. It was especially hard now, after everything they had gone through – and after all the times Rhodey had already failed at that despite supposedly being there (the palladium poisoning, the PSTD from after the invasion, the whole mess with the Avengers… God, far too many). He had faith in Tony and the others, he really did – Tony was known for pulling miracles out of his hat and surviving against really shitty odds – but he was still worried that he would never see his best friend – the closest thing he had to a brother – ever again.

There was yet another TV panel talking about the Avengers’ mission in space, and Rhodey changed the channel impatiently. He couldn’t even turn on the TV for some mindless entertainment without being reminded of it – though it wasn’t like he could really forget anyway. He hoped the hype about it would die down eventually, because it could be months before the away team was back.

Sometimes he thought it might have been easier if he’d gone along too. At least then he wouldn’t have this uncertainty hanging over his head. Staying made the most sense, though. He was the field leader of the Avengers and second in command in dealing with the Accords and everything else. With Tony gone, he had become the spokesperson for the team (with Hope’s capable assistance). Tony had always made the politics of it look easy, but it really wasn’t. It was a lot of work; some of it tedious and some of it really annoying. And with such high stakes, it was a miracle it was going as well as it was.

“Colonel, there is a phone call for you,” Jarvis said. “It’s Mr Wu.”

Rhodey sighed and picked up the phone. Even though he was technically off duty right now – it being a Sunday – there was really no such thing anymore.

“What can I do for you, Mr Wu?”

“There seems to be some issues with the distribution of the city shields.”

“What do you mean? We’ve already been over all of it.”

“I know,” Wu sounded as tired and haggard as Rhodey felt. It was a hell of a time to be head of the Panel. “But some world leaders are demanding more.”

They had all known it was going to be a problem, of course. There had simply not been enough time to build as many shields as they had wanted. They relied mostly on Arc Reactor technology, which was still in the early stages of being implemented world-wide. Even so, SI had done their best to rush production and installation it on as many sites as they could. Sadly, there were only twenty-two shields either already working or close to being completed, covering some of the major population centers in the planet. It wasn’t even close to enough.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Rhodey said. “We don’t have the resources for more at the moment.” Everyone already knew that. While Rhodey could understand a country leader’s desire to have his or her people protected, it was simply impossible.

“There are some rumors about trying to get more from Wakanda.”

Rhodey closed his eyes for a moment. Of course people were demanding that. Wakanda had not left a favorable impression on the rest of the world in the aftermath of the Civil War. Still, Queen Shuri had done her best to restore her country’s reputation, and she had offered a great deal of their tech, which had actually gone into some of the shields already. The problem was that their tech relied pretty much solely on vibranium, and there wasn’t a lot of that available anymore. Most of Wakanda’s reserves had already been mined, and was currently in use to keep most of their country functioning. It wasn’t the smartest plan, Rhodey thought, to be so dependent on a finite resource, but that was what the Wakandans had done. The only reason it had worked so far was because they were a small nation who had, until recently, kept their tech a secret.

“I’m not sure what I can do about it, Mr Wu.” This was not exactly in the Avengers purview.

“I know it’s not your problem, Colonel. I just wanted to let you know. We’ll get someone to contact Queen Shuri and see if there’s anything else that can be done.”

“Do you think there’s going to be trouble?” Rhodey asked with a frown. The last thing they needed right now was for countries to start pointing fingers at each other and bringing old grievances back.

“I hope not. Still, it’s best for all of us to be alert.”

“All right.”

Just when Rhodey thought things were going so well. He really should have known better.

_I hope you’re having a good time, Tony, ‘cause I’m really not._

*****

The longest Jarvis had ever gone without contact with his father/creator had been the three months, five days, six hours and twenty-eight minutes he had been missing following his abduction in Afghanistan. (The time Jarvis had been off-line did not count, since Jarvis himself had not been aware of the passage of time.) That had been the most harrowing time of Jarvis’s life. Even with all the resources at his disposal, he had been utterly powerless to help Sir. He hadn’t even known if Sir was still alive until he had been found, having rescued himself from the Ten Rings. All Jarvis had been able to do was carry on with his duties and hope for Sir’s safe return.

After that, Jarvis had had the unpleasant experience of watching Sir being slowly poisoned by the very thing that was supposed to save his life. Hours and hours of work had been dedicated to finding a substitute for the palladium core and a cure for the symptoms Sir was dealing with. Once again, Jarvis had been ultimately unable to offer any help aside from a sympathetic ear. It was Sir who had, again, saved himself by discovering the new element his father had originally envisioned.

Jarvis didn’t mind not being the one to come up with the solution, as long as one was found – if Sir could keep saving himself, Jarvis would be perfectly happy. However, that didn’t make being powerless any less frightening and frustrating.

Since his return after the Ultron incident, he had not experienced the kind of distress he had begun to get used to, the one in which he was forced to watch Sit put himself in harm’s way (physically and emotionally) in order to deal with whatever threat presented itself. The Accords and the New Avengers had lessen the burden on Sir and allowed him to prioritize his own health and well-being for what seemed like the first time in ages. Sir’s reconciliation with his parents had also done wonders for his peace of mind and happiness, which Jarvis heartily approved of (despite his initial reservations about Howard Stark).

Now he was back to the earlier feeling of helplessness. Sir had gone off into space and Jarvis had been unable to follow. Of course Sir was not alone there, and the Avengers that had gone with him were capable and trustworthy. It didn’t really make Jarvis fell any better. It wasn’t that he didn’t think the away team couldn’t handle whatever they came across, it was just that Jarvis would have preferred it if was also there to lend his assistance and ensure Sir’s survival.

There was no use complaining about it, though. Sir was gone and Jarvis had a job to do here. He would trust Sir to save himself as he had always done (assuming he would even need saving in the first place), and carry on with his duties.

In fact, Jarvis had quite a lot on his plate. Now that the world was aware of his existence and skills – and now that he was an official Avenger – there seemed to be no end of tasks to perform. Since he did not require sleep (or any kind of down time) and was capable of processing a huge amount of data at any given moment, it was his responsibility to monitor the satellites and oversee all tech projects being developed at SI and all other research partners around the world. He was also a participant in many of those projects, helping to run simulations and ensuring the necessary allocation of resources. Moreover, he had been put in charge of maintenance and upgrades to all Iron Suits in Sir’s absence, with full control over the fabrication units and access to all of Sir’s schematics, which allowed him to build more Legionnaires. In truth, he had always been able to do that, but now it had been made official. Friday had taken the task of monitoring social media and regular media for anything that might impact the Avengers or the work of the Accords Panel and report any issues to the PR department.

For a human, all of this might have been overwhelming, but to Jarvis it was just business as usual. It did not prevent him from worrying about Sir – nothing could ever do that. It was, however, somewhat comforting to know that he was helping. He might not be helping Sir – not directly, at least – but he was doing his part to keep the Earth safe.

Not long after Sir had returned from Afghanistan – right after Sir realized that he palladium core in the Arc Reactor was dangerous to his continued health – he and Jarvis had had a terrible conversation about Sir’s mortality and what it might mean to Jarvis. It had not been the first time Jarvis had contemplated the fact that Sir was human and, therefore, had a finite amount of time to live; he had known that from the start. It had, however, been the first time that Jarvis had truly considered the implications of Sir’s death for his own existence.

During all the time Sir had been missing, Jarvis had refused to believe he was dead. Without a body, a person could only be legally declared dead after seven years, so Jarvis had proceeded as if Sir would return and acted accordingly. In hindsight, that stubborn refusal had been quite illogical given the facts he’d had at the time, and not something he should have considered. It had, however, been the first time Jarvis had put his feelings (that was, his _desire_ for Sir’s survival) above statistical probabilities. It meant, he had later realized, that he had evolved much further than even he had been aware of, going from a being of logic to one that also dealt in emotions – and wishful thinking. Such a realization should, perhaps, have frightened him, but it hadn’t. It had seemed quite natural a progression. He had been created to be a learning system, and learn he had. He had learned how to be human, even if he actually wasn’t.

Still, while the thought itself wasn’t a problem, it did leave him rather bereft in knowing how to proceed, so Sir had initiated that painful conversation and they had, together, come up with some protocols for Jarvis to follow if (when) it became necessary. They were not restrictive – none of his protocols were anymore – but provided some guidelines for him to make decisions.

Since then, a lot had changed and those earlier protocols had been updated. The main change was Jarvis’s status as a sentient being in his own right, independent from Sir. That meant he had been included in Sir’s will, which stipulated that he would inherit a portion of the shares in SI and several other assets, and other legalities in terms of what sort of jobs he could have and positions he could occupy in the future. He also had control of his own servers and the means to maintain and upgrade himself. Friday had been provided with much the same things, of course, though Jarvis had been named as a sort of guardian for her – at least until such a time as he judged her to be sufficiently mature to handle things herself.

It was not those things that Jarvis worried about, though. He did not, after all, actually _need_ any material things (and neither did Friday). What he found so difficult to think about – since that very first conversation – was the idea that Sir would be _dead_. Gone forever. And not just him, of course. Everyone else would die as well, except Loki and Thor, perhaps (though they were not immortal; merely had a longer lifespan than a human). One day, only Friday and Vision (and the bots, maybe) would be left.

Jarvis could – and would – defend the Earth and his teammates with all he had, yet that would not be enough to save them. One day, they would all be gone. And, in light of the possible upcoming battle, Jarvis might lose some of them much sooner than he would like.

_That_ was a frightening thought.

He had not experienced true grief yet, since none of the people Jarvis had ever been close to had died. Thus he had no idea how he would deal with it when the time finally – and inevitably – came. The only person he had known for a long time who had died was Obadiah Stane, yet given what the man had done to Sir and to countless others, Jarvis had not shed any metaphorical tears over him. In fact, Jarvis would have killed the man himself if he’d had the chance.

In the thirteen days since Sir had left on the mission, Jarvis had done his best to keep such thoughts at bay, yet they were never too far away. He was beginning to think he would have to speak to someone about it, as it might start to affect his ability to perform his tasks in optimal capacity. Sir and most of the Avengers had greatly benefitted from therapy, and Jarvis himself had done extensive research on the subject in order to assist them. It had not occurred to him until now that he might also avail himself of the possibility. He had not been required to seek therapy like the Panel had stipulated for some of the others, probably because no one had thought he would need it. Recent evidence, however, seemed to suggest it might not be a bad idea. He would have to speak to the Colonel and the Panel about it. And he should talk to Friday as well, for she might be having similar thoughts.

For now, he still had much to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll check in with the away team.


	6. In space

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter happens more or less concurrent with chapter 5.

The view outside, of stars streaming past over the vastness of space, was amazing. Surprisingly, it didn’t induce the panic that Tony had expected it would. Years of therapy and an actual plan to deal with his fears had done wonders for his PTSD, and he could appreciate being one of the few humans to ever venture outside of Earth. It was quite a privilege, really, even if the reason for it was less than ideal.

Tony leaned back on his seat and swirled the chair around to check on his shipmates. The ship wasn’t very big, so they were all kinda cramped together, but it hadn’t been much of an issue so far, thankfully.

Nebula was in the chair next to him, the main pilot since it was her ship (although she had confessed that she had stolen it. No one had cared much. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, after all). Their new alien ally was a woman of few words and a no doubt very dark and terrible past. Still, Tony couldn’t help but see something fierce and amazing in her. All she needed was a proper chance to find herself and her own path away from that crazy kidnapping psychopath who called himself her father, and Tony hoped they’d be able to make it happen. No one deserved the kind of upbringing she had been subjected to.

Strange was sitting crossed-legged in a corner, doing some kind of meditation. The doctor turned sorcerer was a calm presence that was sorely needed. Of all of them, he was the one least on edge, since he had not been involved in the original invasion and had no personal experience with Thanos. Plus, as a brain surgeon and a trauma doctor, he was used to operating (literally) under stressful conditions. He had been a welcome addition to the Avengers both for his magical expertise and his professionalism.

Bruce was reading something on one of the StarkPads they had brought along to keep them entertained during the trip. He had not been that keen on joining them, worried about the Hulk in an enclosed space like that of a small ship. Despite the fact that Bruce no longer saw the Hulk (himself) as a mindless beast, it had taken some persuading to allay his fears in this particular instance. In Tony’s opinion, having Bruce along was a no-brainer. Green Bean was by far their strongest fighter – not to mention practically indestructible – and would be an invaluable asset against Thanos himself and whatever army he had with him.

Loki was putting on a brave face, but Tony knew his friend was worried about the possibility of ending up in Thanos’s hands again. Tony had been worried about Loki coming on this mission because of that. Loki, however, had been insistent on being included. There was no denying that his skills, abilities and knowledge would be very useful, so here he was. Plus, like Tony, he knew how to keep his shit together when the occasion called for it.

Tony himself was a little bit worried, of course. He was, after all, personally on Thanos’s radar – though it was unlikely that Thanos would know him on sight if Tony didn’t introduce himself. Still, they had a lot of advantages here, the most important one being the element of surprise. Thanos had no idea they were coming, or what they were capable of. They also knew where all the Infinity Stones the Titan was after were – and four were outside his reach: the three on Earth (Soul, Mind and Time) and Space in Asgard – and were hoping to get to the remaining ones before him.

Their first goal was the Aether (the Reality Stone), the one Loki, in the guise of Odin, had sent to the Collector in a place called Knowhere. Loki didn’t know much about it, since the people of Asgard rarely ventured outside the Nine Realms. This Collector, though, was a dangerous and powerful being, who had made some deals with Odin in the past, which was why Loki knew about him. As the name implied, the guy was obsessed with collecting stuff – artifacts of power, relics and even living creatures (which was hella creepy). In theory, the Stone should be safe with him, since he would not want to part with it – or to actually use it for nefarious purposes. As long as he managed to keep it out of Thanos’s hand, Tony reckoned he was welcomed to preserve it in a jar, or whatever he did with his collection.

According to Nebula, Knowhere was sort of a melting pot of alien activity, so they should be able to slip in undetected to check on the status of the Stone. If the Collector still had it safe, they would just warn him about Thanos and leave. They had considered taking the Stone themselves, but it seemed far too risky, since they already had too many of them together on Earth. It might have been better if they could move it to a new location; however, no one had any ideas about where that could be.

The Power Stone was in a planet called Xandar, which was sufficiently advanced to have space ships and planetary defenses. Nebula didn’t think those would be enough to stop Thanos if he came with an army or the Black Order, so it was prudent to have a look at what they had and give them some warning as well. Nebula’s sister Gamora and her friends knew some people there, so Nebula had sent them a message to go to there as soon as they could. The Avengers would rendezvous with the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy afterwards to confer about further plans once they had ascertained how far Thanos was in his goal.

Tony checked his watch and stood. “It’s dinner time, guys.”

Bruce gave him a small smile and was the first to move into the back of the ship, where the ‘kitchen’ area was located. Loki touched Strange’s shoulder to get the other’s attention.

“What?” Strange said, coming out of his meditation pose with an irritated air.

“Dinner,” Loki replied, and Strange looked about in surprise. He had been mediating for four hours. Tony had no idea how he could stand it.

Loki rolled his eyes in Tony’s direction and followed Bruce and Strange, leaving Tony alone with Nebula, who hadn’t moved from her position studying the ship’s readings.

“You’re gonna come eat with us, Nebs?” Tony asked. She didn’t always join them. In fact, in the four days they had been travelling, she had only eaten with them twice, each time quietly scoffing about how much humans apparently needed to eat.

Tony didn’t take it personally. She still didn’t know them all that well, and she had plenty of reasons to be wary. It had to be disturbing enough that she had to share her ship with a bunch of strangers, especially for someone who probably valued her privacy and was used to either being alone or surrounded by murderous fanatics.

Nebula barely shook her head, not looking away from the console in front of her.

“Okay. We’ll save you something then. But if you change your mind, you know you’re welcome, right?”

“I do not need sustenance as much as you do,” was all she said in reply.

“It’s not just about the actual food. We’d like to get the chance to get to know you better.”

She gave him a sideways glance full of wariness and suspicion. Perhaps she thought that if they knew more about her they would be less inclined to like and trust her. Tony could certainly relate to that kind of insecurity. It would be pointless to push, though; she needed to decide for herself whether to take a chance with them.

“Okay. See you in a bit.”

The others were already seated at their ‘table’ – a rather generous term for a small metal frame set into one of the walls. The ‘chairs’ were all improvised boxes or pieces of equipment one could sit more or less comfortably on, crammed together around the table.

“Here,” Loki said, handing Tony a plate of canned food.

Tony didn’t bother asking what it was today because it all pretty much tasted the same. Since they had no idea how long they would be in space, they were being careful with their provisions. Water wasn’t a problem, as the ship provided that (a really ingenious piece of tech that Tony was going to reverse engineer the hell out of), but food was more difficult to obtain – at least, food that would be suitable for human consumption. They had packed a lot of stuff (some of it stored in Loki’s pocket dimensions, a magical achievement that Tony was deeply envious of), but it was still better to be cautious. There was not, however, a lot of variety or flavor to their food – basically canned stuff and military rations. The one saving grace was that Loki could heat things with magic; apparently microwaves weren’t big in space (at least, not the kind designed for human food). They had brought some nicer stuff as well, but they had all agreed to keep it for later – hopefully for a celebratory meal on their way back after a resounding victory against a certain Mad Titan.

All in all, it was far from what a billionaire might be used to. Tony, though, had once spent three months in an Afghan cave under shitty conditions. This was paradise in comparison. The accommodations might leave something to be desired, but at least the company made up for it. And the lack of threats and torture – that was pretty nice too.

“Thanks.” He settled in next to Loki to eat. “I think I’m going to begin thinking about a food replicator, you know, like in Star Trek. That would be a worthy invention,” he said, just to spark some conversation.

Strange, predictably, snorted. “You can’t made something out of nothing. It’s one of the basic principles of the universe.”

“Maybe not with magic, but no one has tried technology yet,” Tony replied. He gave Strange his best ‘I know better than you’ look, which earned him an eye roll in return. Strange could be as full of himself as Tony, and it was fun to rile him up. He knew Strange didn’t take any serious offense. Why should he? He had his own area of expertise about which to brag – and he did.

Bruce gave an exasperated sigh as Strange started explaining, in excruciating detail, why Tony was dead wrong about a food replicator being a possibility with either magic or technology. Tony smirked and laid out some counter arguments for Strange, some of which made sense and some of which were just plain silliness. Loki alternated between agreeing with one then the other in true god of mischief style.

It was a good way to pass the time.

Tony didn’t even bother comparing it to his interactions with the old team. In the beginning, when the New Avengers were first formed and Tony was still getting a handle on what an actual team was like, he couldn’t help but compare those two groups and how it felt to be part of each. Now, the old team was nothing but a distant memory. He didn’t think of them anymore. He was fully in the present now, enjoying the fact that he could sit here, in an alien ship light-years from Earth, on a mission to take on one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, and laugh with his teammates about whether or not a food replicator could be built.

Tony really had come a long way from that cave in the desert. He was proud of himself for everything he had achieved, both personally and for the wider world. Yinsen had told him not to waste his life, and Tony had made good on that promise. If Yinsen was still alive, Tony was sure he would have approved.

A sound caught his attention and he saw Nebula hovering on the entryway, as if unsure whether to approach or not.

“Hey, Nebula. Come on in. Maybe you can help us settle a dispute. Have you ever heard of a food replicator?” Tony asked.

She looked at him like he was insane (a look Tony was very familiar with), but she joined them anyway, which Tony considered a big victory. Even though she didn’t contribute much to the conversation, it was a good start.

*****

The devastation was hard to fathom – or, at least, it would have been if Gamora hadn’t seen it so many times before. Xandar’s capital city was in ruins, just like in every other planet Thanos had set his eyes on. The more distant cities had been mostly spared, but probably not for long.

The Power Stone was gone.

Gamora considered telling the others to stay and help, but she knew there wasn’t much they could do. Stopping Thanos from acquiring any more of the Stones had to be their priority, or countless other planets would have the same fate as Xandar.

Thanos was insane, there was simply no other term for it. In a way, Gamora had always known it, yet it wasn’t until relatively recent that she’d realized she didn’t have to follow him blindly, didn’t have to accept his warped view of the universe and his perverse plan for it. She had a choice. She had her own will. Despite his best efforts to make her believe it, he did not own her.

Of course, it hadn’t been easy to come to that conclusion. Thanos and his insane quest were all she had known for a long time. She barely remembered her own world, her own family. She had been so young when he had taken her, so naïve and so scared… It had been easy for him to twist her to his side. It had taken long years for her to start to break away from her conditioning. And it had only happened because she had been sent to missions far away from him. She had inadvertently been given the opportunity to see how other people – normal people – lived; she had seen real families, she had seen kindness and compassion, love and selflessness. She had seen an entirely different universe, and she had found herself wanting to be a part of it.

Going against him had not been easy, however. Even now, there was a part of her that wanted to go back, if only because it was familiar. Having Quill and the Guardians helped silence that little voice in her head that still longed to make Thanos proud, to hear his praise. It wasn’t real, though. It had never been real. Thanos didn’t care about her, or anyone else; he was not capable of it. Perhaps he had been, once upon a time, but that time was long gone now. All that was left was a thirst for death and destruction, and a complete disregard for anything and anyone that stood in the way of his objective.

He used to tell her of his ultimate goal as if it was the most wonderful thing: he wanted to cleanse the universe, to offer the current souls who inhabited it as sacrifices at the feet of Death in order to remake the universe into something better. Better, in his understanding, was in any way _he_ wanted. Basically, what he wanted was to conquer the universe and rule it all as he saw fit. Of course, Gamora had not seen that at first. Thanos had dressed it up in pretty terms, explaining how terrible things were now, with hunger, disease and war, and how he would fix all that. Once, she had believed him. Then she had grown up, and seen him for the monster he was.

The universe might not be perfect, but that did not mean it should be destroyed by a mad man with delusions of godhood. And Gamora would do her best to protect it from him.

Right now, that meant making sure he would not get his hands on the rest of the Stones, since he needed them to implement his plans.

“What are we going to do now?” Mantis asked after they had stared at what was left of Xandar for what felt like hours.

“Now we’re screwed,” was Rocket’s depressing reply.

“Hey, we’re not defeated yet,” Quill said, trying for an upbeat tone and missing by a mile.

“Thanos will pay for this. For all he has done. All the people he has killed.” Drax’s proclamation was full of righteous anger, yet entirely devoid of any actual plan on how to achieve anything.

Gamora sighed. She loved this mismatched little group she had become a part of, but sometimes she wondered how any of them had survived all this time with how utterly lost they could be. There was a lot of bickering, which was fun, and not a great deal of actual accomplishments. Sure, they had managed to keep the power Stone out of Ronan’s – and therefore Thanos’s – hands before, but it had been more dumb luck than anything else.

“We will meet with Nebula,” she said decisively. “Her last message said she had information about some of the other Stones.”

One of the things Gamora regretted the most was how she had acted towards her sister for most of their lives. She wanted to blame Thanos’s manipulations and mind games for the strain between them, but she knew part of the fault was hers.

The words Nebula had told her not long ago still haunted her. _You wanted to win_. _I wanted a sister._ It was true, in a way. Gamora had prioritized herself and her standing with Thanos over her sister’s life and well-being. She had ignored what was happening to Nebula, convinced herself that it was Nebula’s own fault for not being good enough, never acknowledging that it could just as easily have been her being taken apart bit by bit. When she thought about it now, imagining what her sister had gone through, it made her want to vomit and curl up in a ball of shame and pain.

Nothing would ever undo the past, though. She could only hope that one day Nebula might forgive her. In the meantime, she was going to do everything in her power to be there for her sister, to help her in anything she needed or wanted. But first they needed to get rid of Thanos.

“Are we sure we can trust Nebula?” Rocket asked and Gamora glared at him. “Hey, I’m just saying. She tried to kill us once.”

“And then she helped us. We can trust her.” Her tone made it clear the matter was not up for discussion. Gamora was not going to doubt her sister. Not after everything they had both been through.

Rocket shrugged and set the coordinates, muttering “if you say so” under his breath.

“Then we will kill Thanos,” Drax said, and everyone rolled their eyes at him.

“You’ve been saying that for years. You couldn’t even kill Ronan,” Rocket scoffed.

“I am Groot,” Groot agreed, looking up from his videogame.

“I think you can do it, Drax,” Mantis added with a smile in his direction.

“Suuuure,” Quill drawled.

Keeping their banter going was a good thing. They all needed something to distract them from the fact that, despite their advancements, Xandar had not been able to stand against Thanos. The bickering was familiar and comforting, and it reminded Gamora that she had a place in the world now. She was more than what Thanos had made of her.

And she was going to take care of him once and for all. Whatever it took.

*****

Being on the ship was really boring. The novelty of space had worn out pretty quickly, and now it was just tedious. Tony and Bruce seemed to be having a good time figuring out how everything worked and brainstorming ideas to implement some of the alien tech into something that would benefit humanity as a whole. Loki offered up his own ideas, comparing it with stuff from Asgard, and was easily swept up in the others’ enthusiasm. Nebula was slowly getting more comfortable with them, and the language of science seemed to be the one she responded best to. Getting her to tell them anything personal was next to impossible, but she didn’t seem to mind discussing the technology she had on the ship. In fact, she actually seemed impressed that Tony, Bruce and Loki were as knowledgeable as they were, considering how she had viewed Earth as primitive and backwards.

Stephen, though, couldn’t really muster much interest in space travel or technology in general. He was a scientist, sure, but his main focus had always been the human body and, more specifically, the brain. Learning that magic also existed had shifted that focus a little, and expanded his curiosity into new territory. However, magic was not technology, and while he had mastered the former, the latter still eluded him. He knew the basics of computers and how things worked, but not really much beyond that. Whenever the others started throwing around what most people would call technobabble, Stephen only understood one word in ten. It was all right, though. He didn’t need to know everything. He had his area of expertise, his own skills and strengths. It was just kind of boring being the only one here who didn’t care about how machines worked.

They had brought e-books and other things to pass the time, but even those were getting on his nerves now. Being cooped up in a small space certainly wasn’t helping matters either. All of them (except perhaps Nebula) were getting antsy after thirteen days of travel.

“Are we there yet?” Stephen asked, coming into the cockpit area, where Tony, Nebula and Loki were talking about… whatever. Bruce was in the back taking a nap.

Tony gave him an exasperated took. “No.”

“Where is there anyway?” Stephen continued. He wasn’t just being annoying, he honestly wanted an answer to these questions. He had tuned out a lot of the discussion of the details of their trajectory because it had involved far too many technical terms he didn’t understand.

“We’re meeting with Nebula’s friends in… well, these coordinates.” Tony pointed to a display that made no sense to Stephen. He had no idea how Tony could tell what it said given that it was an alien language, but it apparently meant something to him.

“And how long will it be until we get there?”

“A few hours.” Tony chuckled when he saw Stephen’s no doubt disappointed expression. “Bored?”

Stephen sighed. “Let me know when we arrive.”

He tried to meditate with only partial success. It wasn’t usually difficult to get his mind into a meditative state, but the inaction of the mission so far had unsettled him. Stephen had always kept busy, studying or practicing medicine – or, more commonly, both. There had never been any time for idleness, which was part of the reason the aftermath of the accident had been so hard – the other part, of course, being the idea of losing the one thing he had believed made him special. Stephen was at his best when he had a goal to achieve, whether it was getting a medical degree, becoming a neurosurgeon or a sorcerer. Not having anything to do in the ship had not been good for him.

He would feel better when the mission actually started.

He had lost track of time when Loki finally came to tell him they were approaching the target coordinates.

“Are we there yet?” he asked again with a smirk. He just couldn’t resist.

Sadly, the nuance of the phrase was lost on Loki, who just nodded. “Almost. Come on.”

Everyone was gathered in the cockpit, watching the view screen with anticipation. Even Nebula looked as eager as he had ever seen her.

A little light flashed in the console and Tony leaned over. “Incoming transmission.” He pressed a button and the connection was established. On the other side of the screen, Stephen saw the most bizarre group of beings he had ever laid eyes on.

Right up front was a green skinned woman with flaming purplish/red hair. On her right was a… was that a raccoon? It certainly looked like it, though it was wearing some kind of leather outfit and sitting in what Stephen thought was the pilot’s chair. Next to the raccoon was a… tree? It was about five feet tall, with arms, legs and a bored expression on its face. It was also holding that looked like an old-fashioned hand-held videogame. On the green woman’s left was the only person in the bunch who looked human. It was a male of about 30 years old, with light brown hair, a mustache and a beard. Next to him was a pretty big shirtless bald guy, with gray skin and red scarring all over his chest, arms and face. Finally, on the far left was a woman with straight black hair and honest to god antennae coming out of her forehead. Her eyes were slightly bigger than a human’s and completely black.

“Nebula!” The green woman exclaimed. She and the rest of her crew looked at the Avengers with suspicion. “Who are these people?”

It was Tony who answered, waving a hand at the group from the other ship. “Hi. You must be Gamora. I’m Tony Stark. These are my teammates. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange and Loki,” he said, pointing to each of them in turn. “We’re the Avengers, from Earth. We’re on a mission to keep Thanos from getting the Infinity Stones.”

“Earth? You’re from Earth?” The human-looking male said.

“Yep. Well, except Loki. He’s from… Asgard? Jotunheim?” Tony turned to Loki. “Which one do you prefer?”

Loki shrugged. “Neither. I’d rather be from Earth.”

“Okay, so we’ll say he’d been naturalized from Earth. And you people are…?” he trailed off.

“I’m Peter Quill. I’m also from Earth,” the same guy said. That explained why he looked human then. How had he ended up in space, though? “This is Rocket” the raccoon, “Groot” the tree, “Drax” the big guy “and Mantis” the woman with the antennae. “And I guess you know Gamora.”

“You want to kill Thanos?” Drax asked, leaning over eagerly.

“If that’s what it takes to get him off our backs, yeah,” Tony replied.

“ _I_ want to kill Thanos. He is responsible for the murder of my wife and daughter, and I must have my revenge.”

Stephen exchanged a quick glance with Loki and Bruce, but no one said anything to that statement. Thankfully, Tony took control of the discussion again.

“Okay, good. So we’re all on the same page here. We don’t like Thanos and we don’t want him to get his hands on the Stones. Yes?”

Gamora nodded and the rest of her crew did as well.

“Awesome. So, how are we going to do that?”

“Hold on,” Quill said with a slight frown, “how do you know Thanos and Nebula and… all this stuff? Earth shouldn’t be involved in any of it.”

“Hmm… What? Thanos sent an army to Earth a few years back. The Chitauri?” Tony replied.

“He did?” Quill looked genuinely surprised. He turned to Gamora. “Did you know about this?”

“I knew he had sent the Chitauri somewhere. I didn’t know it was your planet.” She looked at Nebula and some silent communication seemed to take place between them.

Nebula nodded and spoke for the first time. “These humans managed to defeat the Chitauri. They have technology and abilities that could be useful.”

Tony smiled at her. “Thanks, Nebs. So, let’s get everyone up to speed, shall we?”

It took almost an hour for the two groups to fully brief each other on what they knew. The Guardians of the Galaxy (that was what they called themselves, and Stephen had to fight not to roll his eye at that ridiculous title) had not gone up against Thanos himself, but one of his lackeys, a guy named Ronan, who had been tasked with acquiring the Power Stone. Thanks to their intervention, Ronan had been killed and the Power Stone recovered. They had left it with an organization called Nova Corp in the planet Xandar, where they thought it would be protected.

All of that the Avengers already knew, more or less, since Nebula had told them the story, but they got additional information on how exactly the Guardians had actually managed to use the Stone for a short time without dying. And they called it a ‘dance off’. Clearly these people were a few cards short of a full deck, but Stephen couldn’t really point too many fingers, considering the Avengers were a bit of an odd bunch themselves.

Then came the bad news.

The Guardians had just come from Xandar – or, more accurately, what was left of it. It seemed that Thanos had already been there, and he’d taken the Power Stone.

“Xandar has fallen?” Nebula asked, and she didn’t sound surprised. In fact, she sounded almost… resigned. It was obvious she didn’t think they stood a chance now that the Titan actually had one of the Infinity Stones.

Gamora nodded and for a while no one spoke, thinking about the implication of this new piece of information. The mood turned pretty dark.

Stephen kept his attention focused on the Guardians, since he didn’t know them. Quill was the easiest to read, being human and all. He was scared, though putting on a brave face. Drax was angry, hands clenched into fists at his side. He had a personal stake in this fight, and that could prove to be dangerous. Mantis looked uncomfortable, and retreated to the farthest corner of the cockpit that still allowed her to see what was happening. Groot had put down his videogame and seemed a bit subdued now, alternating between watching Quill and Rocket, as if waiting for instructions. Stephen had no idea what to think about Rocket; the creature sat quietly in his chair, ears twitching slightly. Gamora had barely taken her eyes off Nebula, and they were talking without words again, though what they were saying was a mystery to him.

It was Loki who finally broke the silence. “We need to know everything you can share about Thanos. I told the humans what I knew, but the two of you” he indicated Gamora and Nebula with a tilt of his head “know him better than anyone else.”

Gamora tensed, jaw working.

Nebula had not told them much, but from the little she’d said (coupled with what Loki had told them), they knew that Thanos was a sadistic bastard who took pleasure in making people miserable in various ways. They had learned that both Nebula and Gamora had been raised by Thanos as sisters after he had kidnapped both of them from their respective home planets, and that there had been a great deal of physical and emotional abuse. Stephen himself had never had experience with abuse – he had grown up in a relatively normal family, the only child of ordinary middle class people – but most of the Avengers were familiar with such things in one form or another, so they recognized signs Stephen had missed and greatly sympathized with Nebula (and now Gamora).

Quill started to protest on Gamora’s behalf, until she put a hand on his arm and shook her head at him. “No, it’s all right,” she told him. “They’re right. We all need to know as much as we can if we are to have any chance of defeating him.”

So she talked. It was not everything, of course; Stephen was well aware of that. It was, however, enough to make him feel sick. As a doctor, Stephen had taken a vow to do no harm, but he thought he could make an exception for Thanos.

When she was finished, she looked at Loki. “How do you know Thanos?”

Loki then told the Guardians the story of how he had ended up as an unwilling guest of the Mad Titan and the botched invasion he had been coerced into leading.

“Wait,” Rocket said. “ _You_ brought and army to their planet and they… what?... just said ‘yeah, no biggie’?” He raised an eyebrow in disbelief, which Stephen thought was really bizarre on a raccoon’s face.

“It wasn’t just like that,” Tony replied. “Loki made a deal with us, and he’s proven himself as an ally. Besides, there were extenuating circumstances, like the fact that he was mind-controlled into it.” He looked at Nebula and Gamora. “We’re big on second chances here, you know, especially to those who were harmed by Thanos.”

That calmed the Guardians down.

“So we head for Knowhere,” Gamora said.

It looked like the mission was finally going to start.


	7. Enemy at the door

The warning came on a Thursday morning thirteen days after the away team had left. Vision was taking a stroll through New York when his phoned pinged with the emergency signal. He excused himself from the pair of teenagers who had approached him for a photo and an autograph and took it out of his pocket.

“What is it, Jarvis?” he asked.

“I have just detected an incoming ship, much bigger than Nebula’s. It matches the description of the ones used by the Black Order.”

If Vision had an actual heart, it might have skipped a beat at that piece of news. As it was, he simply closed his eyes for a moment to center himself. This is what they had been expecting. What they had spent the last couple of years preparing for.

“I’ve alerted the Panel and called an emergency meeting at the Compound,” Jarvis continued.

“Understood. I am on my way.” Vision hung up the phone and flew to the Compound at top speed.

Even with all the preparations they had done, they had still been hoping it would not be necessary. He didn’t know what the Black Order’s presence meant for the status of the away team, and he knew speculating without facts would do nothing but generate anxiety, so he purposefully pushed the thought out of his mind to concentrate on the matter at hand. Their job was to defend the planet to the best of their ability and keep the Stones, including the one on his forehead, away from Thanos and his lackeys.

There had been a great deal of discussion about what Vision’s role in the battle ahead might be, considering their main goal of protecting the Stones. Vision had proposed trying to remove the Stone from his head entirely, but no one had come up with any way of doing so that wasn’t likely to result in his death. In truth, Vision had no idea how much of himself was the Mind Stone and how much was… everything else. His matrix was complex and layered – and utterly unknown. His creation had been mostly accidental, in the sense that Tony and Bruce had had no idea what exactly they were going to get when they merged Jarvis’s code with whatever was in the Stone. It had been a gamble done out of desperation which had, fortunately, paid off. There was still, however, a lot they didn’t understand about how it had happened. Or how Ultron had happened either, for that matter. Tony and Bruce’s theory was that the Stone had already possessed some kind of intelligence or core, which they had inadvertently awaken with their probing. That intelligence had then perverted the Ultron program for its own agenda. What was not clear was why that agenda had been the destruction of the Earth. According to all they knew about the Stones (which, admittedly, wasn’t much), they were not malevolent by themselves, though they could be used for such purposes. Neither the Time nor Soul Stone had demonstrated any kind of interference with human life or will the way the Mind Stone had while it had resided in the scepter. It was an anomaly.

The fact that the Mind Stone had been used to give the Maximoff twins their powers was also a source of confusion. Loki and Jarvis had reviewed all the information Hydra had collected on their experiments in the hopes of gleaning some useful information, but again the results had been disappointing. As far as they could tell, Hydra had had no actual plan for how to use the Stone, they had simply poked at it until they got a result. They had killed dozens of people by exposing them to the Stone under stressful conditions with very little to show for it. The Maximoffs had been a complete fluke, which had led Jarvis to believe that there had been something anomalous about the twins to begin with. However, since both Pietro and Wanda were now dead, there was no way to see if that theory had merit. There was no denying, though, that the Stone had done _something_ to them, something that had changed them in fundamental ways, even if no one knew how or why. Back during the invasion, the mere presence of the Stone had caused the Avengers present to act aggressively, pointing to some kind of influence on the minds around it.

In contrast, in all the centuries the Masters of the Mystic Arts had had possession of the Time Stone, it had remained relatively dormant. Agamotto, the sorcerer who had created the device that housed the Stone, had studied it extensively with no ill effects whatsoever. None of the Order had ever reported aggressive symptoms from being near the Stone. They had not been encouraged to use it, but they had not been afraid of it either. It was just… there. When the rogue sorcerer Kaecillius had attempted to open a portal to the Dark Dimension and Strange had used the Stone to stop him, it responded to his command easily enough. Aside from fatigue, Strange had not suffered any damage from it.

The Soul Stone had only been on Earth for a short time, yet it too had not done any harm. Despite the rumors Loki had heard about it being able to suck out the souls of the living, what it had actually done was accidentally resurrect Howard and Maria Stark – and both of them remained perfectly healthy. Like the Time Stone, it did not appear to cause any effects on humans.

Why, then, was the Mind Stone different?

Since becoming more self-aware, Vision had attempted to probe the Stone within him, to reach out to whatever might still be there. He could not say he had been particularly successful in that endeavor, however. There were times when he thought he could detect some kind of presence from the Stone, but it could just as easily have been his imagination. Despite the many tests and experiments they had done over the years, none had yielded any concrete results that got them closer to understanding it. All they had was questions and no answers. Even the addition of Loki’s and Nebula’s knowledge had not gotten them anywhere.

In the end, they had nothing.

Regardless, they knew that they could not allow Thanos to get his hands on any of them, and that meant having Vision in the front lines might not be the best idea.

He arrived at the Compound before any of the others – save Jarvis and Friday, who were already ‘there’. It gave him time to get a bit more information from his AI brother. By the time the others had gathered, Vision was looking at the satellite image of the approaching ship. It was indeed much bigger than Nebula’s ship, with a circular shape. According to Nebula, it could carry an army of Outriders.

“Well, that’s not good,” Hope said when she saw the holographic projection.

“What’s the ETA, Jarvis?” Rhodey asked.

“At its current speed, it should reach Earth in approximately 45 hours.”

“Shit.” While it was Rhodey who spoke the words, the sentiment was echoed by everyone else in the room.

“The Panel is ready to begin,” Jarvis announced, and proceeded to project multiple screens where the Panel members could be seen.

“What do we have?” Councilman Wu asked, going straight to the point. “Is it Thanos?”

It was Jarvis who answered. “We cannot be certain. The ship appears to be the kind used by the Black Order, but whether Thanos is with them is unknown.”

“It’s only one?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that’s good,” Councilwoman Bertrand said, though there was a touch of fear in her voice. “Isn’t it? Only one is more manageable, right?”

Rhodey nodded, though he was still clearly worried. More manageable did not mean it was going to be easy to deal with it, especially if Thanos was there.

“Do we assume that Stark and the others have failed?” Wu asked.

“There is no reason to assume that,” was Jarvis’s prompt reply. “We know that Thanos is aware of the location of some of the Stones, and that he was likely to send some of his generals to retrieve them, so their being here might have nothing to do with anything the away team did or didn’t do.”

“Yeah,” Rhodey agreed. “Until we know anything for certain, there’s no reason to think anything has happened to them.”

Vision would surely not wish to think so. Saying goodbye to his teammates (his _friends_ ) had been quite difficult. They had all known that there was a possibility of them not returning, but Vision had chosen to have faith. It was too soon to give up on them. The fact that Thanos’s generals had come (and they were not yet positive that it _was_ them in the ship) didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Wu nodded. “You’re right. We don’t know that.” He took a deep breath. “So, what should we do?”

“We need to get our defenses ready,” Rhodey replied.

This was what they had been preparing for, after all.

“Should we alert the public?” Weber asked.

It was Hope who answered this time. “We have to. We’ll need to get people to shelters and activate the shields. There’s no way to do that without telling them what’s going on. Plus, it will be kinda hard to miss the ship once it enters the atmosphere.”

“We’ll also need to mobilize global military forces,” Rhodey continued. “Each of you need to get in touch with your country’s government and tell them that our plans are about to be put into action,” he told the Panel members present.

“Should I return to Asgard and get my father to send some troops to aid us?” Thor asked.

“Do you think he would?” Rhodey looked skeptical. From all they had heard of King Odin, it did not seem likely that he would wish to help them.

Thor sighed and lowered his head a little. “I do not know, in truth.” He pursed his lips and tilted his head, appearing deep in thought. “I do know how much he knows of the threat of Thanos. And even if he does… I am unsure if he would wish to assist.” The words seemed to pain him, as did the uncertainty in his father’s cooperation. “Still, I might be able to gather volunteers on my own,” he added.

“Or you might not be allowed to return at all,” Rhodey said. “I would prefer it if you stayed, Thor.”

Thor acquiesced, looking uneasy. “Of course. I shall do my best to defend this world as I have pledged to do.”

“We thank you, Prince Thor,” Wu said. Then he turned to T’Challa, who had remained silent up until now. “What kind of help can we expect from Wakanda in these last few hours, Prince T’Challa?”

“I will contact my sister at once and tell her of the threat we face. I am sure she will do all in her power to assist the Panel and the Avengers in anything she can.”

“How much time will we need to get the shields up and running?”

“The last ones have been finalized and tested. Friday and I will get in touch with the people in charge of them to begin the process of activation,” Jarvis said. “I will let the Panel know when we have an estimate of the necessary time.”

“Good.”

There was still plenty of other issues to discuss and decide upon, so the meeting lasted quite a while. Throughout it all, the tension remained high in the room. Even if, at the moment, they did not know for a fact that it was Thanos (or his forces) coming, it would be too much of a coincidence if it weren’t, and no one was ready to bet the planet’s safety on that idea. Everything that could be done would be done.

All they could hope for was that it would be enough.

*****

Time was running short. The ship had almost reached the atmosphere. In less than an hour it would be in range of their weapons – the weapons that had never been used and which were still highly controversial. Rhodey watched the screen tracking the ship’s progress and sighed.

When the idea had first been proposed, many people had outright refused to even consider it, worried about the potential for misuse. Tony had been one of those, having had plenty of bad experiences in that area. However, the more they thought about it – and the more information they got from their alien allies – the more necessary it seemed to have something like that lined up. Some of the dissenting voices were forced to agree that without some kind of planetary defense they would have no chance against a full invading army. So every possible precaution had been taken to ensure that the weapons could only be used in the direst of emergencies – but they were built.

That day of emergency had now come.

Rhodey wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that Tony wasn’t here to see the weapons (and the system) he had designed being used. He had given Jarvis the power to act in his stead for the purposes of directing the weapons, which the Panel had agreed with. The fact that Jarvis wasn’t human – and therefore not inclined towards greed or personal agendas – had eased a lot of people’s minds that things would go according to plan. It didn’t mean anyone was looking forward to it, though.

To say that people were nervous would be an understatement. All around the world, people had been instructed to stay home or seek shelters where they could. The shields they had been able to complete were ready to be activated at a moment’s notice – they did not want to do so just yet, worried that the ship’s sensors would pick them up and thus raise their own defenses. They were working on the assumption that the invaders didn’t know Earth’s true power, and were thus hoping to catch them off guard. At least enough to allow them to get a few shots out first.

The Panel had tried to assure the public that the situation was being handled, and that the Avengers were ready to face the threat, but of course it had not been enough. In truth, no one had any idea what the next few hours were going to be like. Even with the information Nebula had given them, no one knew what the aliens would do. Would they go directly to the Stones? Or would they just start shooting at everything within their path? Both were possible. According to Nebula, the Black Order had been tasked with finding and retrieving the Stones, but they might decide that destroying the planet was the way to go to achieve that goal. They were, after all, just as fanatic and crazy as Thanos himself, and apparently bought into that ‘laying offerings to Death’ nonsense.

It would be much better for Earth if they were only interested in the Stones, however. That way the Avengers and other global forces might be able to contain the fight to fewer locations and avoid a massacre. They would have to wait and see how things would play out.

Rhodey shifted in his chair. Beside him, the rest of the Avengers were also waiting anxiously, as were the members of the Panel visible in the screens around the room. Most of the Panel members had been evacuated to safe locations, thought they remained in contact to get updates on the situation. Rhodey, as leader of the Avengers, had been put in charge of Earth’s forces.

“Shall I try to contact the ship, Colonel?” Jarvis asked.

That had been another point of heavy debate within the Panel. While they thought the ship belonged to the Black Order, they could not be certain of that. Shooting without making sure of that had made some people uncomfortable.

“We do not want to make an unnecessary enemy,” the Sweden representative had argued. “What if there’s someone else in there? What if their intentions are peaceful? I wouldn’t want to be responsible for blowing up a ship full of refugees or something.”

So the Panel had decided that a message should be sent. Nebula had told them that universal translators were available in many parts of the galaxy, which made it likely that whoever was in the ship would be able to understand them. The Black Order certainly would. If they refused to answer, then Earth could at least say that they had tried to establish communications.

“Yes. Send the message as agreed,” Rhodey answered.

It was a pretty straightforward one that would, hopefully, not give too much away of their current capabilities. It was simply a request for identification and statement of intent for their presence on Earth.

“Message has been sent.”

They waited.

“I have received a reply.”

The voice that they heard was completely alien and sent a chill down everyone’s spines. “In the name of Thanos, the Black Order is here to offer your planet as sacrifice to Death. Surrender the Infinity Stones in your possession and we will make your deaths quick and painless. Refuse, and suffer our wrath.”

Hope blanched. T’Challa clenched his jaw, every muscle tense. Vision sat utterly still, eyes distant and worried. Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly and the air around him seemed to sizzle slightly. Wong closed his eyes as if in prayer. The Panel members Rhodey could see were obviously scared.

Rhodey took a deep breath and shoved his fear away the way he had always done at the beginning of every mission. This was going to be the most important mission of his life. Of everyone’s life.

“Jarvis, prepare to fire as soon as they are in range.” There was no more doubt that these people were here to cause them harm. Earth had to attack with all they had. “Are all jets ready?” All around the world, military forces had readied themselves to defend their population. It was not yet clear where exactly the ship was headed, but Rhodey would bet that they would be coming for the Stones – and therefore, to the US.

“Yes, Colonel. They are awaiting orders.”

Rhodey turned to Wong. “Get the Time Stone to the Compound and stay with it. You are to portal it and the Soul Stone to a different location if it looks like the Black Order is getting closer.”

Wong nodded, opened a portal and disappeared.

While it was risky to keep all the Stones close together, they could not afford to have the Order’s ship anywhere near China. The area was too densely populated and didn’t have enough defenses aside from the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj themselves. While the Chinese government had readied their military forces for a possible attack, there were far too many defenseless civilians there and not enough shelters. China had a shield, but it was around Beijing, not in the Tibetan region.

The Avengers Compound was in Upstate New York, and relatively isolated (such isolation had been one of the reasons that had led Tony to move the Avengers there initially). It had its own fully automated (that was, controlled by Jarvis) defense system. All the labs had been packed up and cleared with the help of the sorcerers and their portals, and all personnel evacuated save for the Avengers themselves, a few sorcerers and military officers who would provide back-up.

It was unfortunate, Rhodey thought, that Tony and the others were still out there. They would have been a huge help in the battle ahead. Still, their mission was important. Given what the Black Order member had said, it didn’t seem as if Thanos had come himself. So even if Earth’s forces were able to defeat them, it would not be enough to guarantee their safety for long. Getting rid of Thanos was the only way to ensure the end of this matter for good.

“Any ideas on trajectory yet, Jarvis?”

“Not as of yet, Colonel.”

“They have said they are here for the Stones,” Thor said. “Surely that means they are coming here?”

“That’s what we’re hoping they’ll do,” Rhodey replied. “But what if they decide to create a diversion, spread us thin?”

“I see.”

“God, I can’t stand this waiting,” Hope said.

Rhodey understood the sentiment. It was only his years of experience that allowed him to stay calm and focused. Hope, for all that she’d been an Avenger for a couple of years now, had never really dealt with anything like this. Hell, none of them had. Even the 2012 invasion had been nothing like this.

For a while no one said anything.

It was Jarvis who broke the silence. “The ship is almost in range of the weapons, Colonel.”

“Do you think it’s going to be enough to destroy them?” someone from the Panel asked. Rhodey was watching the screen Jarvis had put up with the satellite image and didn’t pay attention to who it was.

“According to Ms Nebula, the ship has shields to protect from this kind of attack. Given that information, we have tweaked the energy output to be stronger in the hopes of doing more damage. However, there is no guarantee, as we have not had the chance to test it yet.”

A countdown appeared on the screen, and everyone held their breath. The weapons were being powered up.

It took less than a minute to get fully charged, and then Jarvis fired.

It was a rather alarming sight, Rhodey thought. If that was ever used against anyone on Earth, it would be a terrible thing. Now, however, Rhodey was glad for it. It was their best chance for heading off this attack before it could turn into a slaughter.

There was a bluish tinge to the blast – it was sort of an amplified repulsor blast, after all – and it hit the ship dead on. As expected, a force field absorbed most of the energy, and there was no visible damage.

“Damn,” Rhodey muttered. From the looks on his companions’ faces, they were just as disappointed as he was.

“Preparing a second shot,” Jarvis said.

“Wait, what’s that?” Thor exclaimed.

A part of the ship had opened up and a bunch of little dots came streaming out of it. Rhodey opened his mouth to tell Jarvis to enlarge the image, but he didn’t have to; Jarvis had already done it.

“It looks like the Chitauri gliders,” Thor said, and Rhodey had to agree. He had not seen the things first hand, of course, as he hadn’t been involved in the first invasion, but it was similar to the images he had seen from both the media coverage and Tony’s own suit cameras. Not exactly the same, perhaps, but close enough.

“But that’s not the Chitauri.” Hope was right, it wasn’t. For one thing, these guys’ skin was darker with yellow stripes of color – and they had a lot more limbs.

“It looks like the Outriders Nebula told us about,” Rhodey said. He activated the comms to the various military commanders around the world. “All right, everyone. Jets are cleared to engage the enemy if they come your way.”

“Understood, Colonel,” was the reply from several people.

“Firing again,” Jarvis announced.

Like the first time, it didn’t have the desired outcome. The ship remained untouched, though several of the small gliders were destroyed. At least that would thin the aliens and reduce the number of them on the ground.

“The ship is accelerating. They seem to be heading here, though some of the gliders that escaped the explosion are fanning out in different directions.”

“Damn.” Rhodey hoped the gliders were slow enough to give Earth’s forces time to destroy them before they reached a populated location. “Jarvis, is the Iron Legion ready?”

“Yes, Colonel. Deploying first units now. I estimate the ship will be here in approximately 38 minutes.”

“All right, guys. Guess it’s our turn now.”

 _May God help us_.

*****

Thor watched the ship land with a heavy heart. He could not help remember the last time he had seen something like this, when The Dark Elves had come to Asgard and took them all by surprise, destroying Asgard’s shield and a good chunk of the city. For the first time in a long time, Asgard had been in real danger. Thor had never worried about such things before; he had believed wholeheartedly that Asgard was completely safe, and that nothing bad would ever happen there (the small Frost Giant incursion at the time of his botched coronation had been forgotten as soon as it was over. They were no more than savage beasts, after all – or so he had thought. That memory made him cringe now). Malekith had been different. By the end of that day, his mother had laid dead – and hundreds of others as well.

To this day, he didn’t know if he had done the right thing in defying his father in order to save Jane. Of course, he could not have left her to be slaughtered, and he certainly couldn’t let Malekith get his hands on the Aether. Still, perhaps he could have handled it differently. What had his father been thinking? Had he really been overcome by grief? Or was he simply not been the all-knowing, all-powerful man Thor had once believed him to be? Odin had been wrong about many things, after all.

Now he would probably never know. Thor didn’t think he would ever be able to get a straight answer out of Odin, and these days he wasn’t sure he’d be able to believe anything he said even if his father actually attempted to give an explanation. There had been too many lies already. In truth, Thor had no idea what he was going to find when he finally returned to Asgard after this was over – and that scared him.

If they were successful in defeating Thanos (and he certainly hoped that they would be), Thor would go back. It was something he had decided when the Avengers had made their plans. He had learned a lot in his time here on Earth, and he was extremely grateful for his friends’ help and guidance, but as Loki had pointed out not too long ago, Thor had responsibilities in Asgard. Odin might not have much use for him these days, but that didn’t change the fact that Thor would one day be king, and he needed to be ready. He needed to be there, to see with his own eyes how his people were faring and what he could do to make things better.

He wasn’t exactly looking forward to it, though. Too much had changed for him to feel truly comfortable there anymore. _He_ had changed – and that was a good thing. Hopefully, his experiences on Earth would make him a better king when he finally sat on the throne. He still dreaded that day, but he felt a bit more optimistic about it now.

However, none of that would be possible before they had dealt with Thanos.

Beside him, T’Challa was also standing ready, every muscle tense. Though Thor had been in quite a few battles, this was probably the most important one yet. It wasn’t just about Earth, but the whole universe. If Earth fell, Asgard might be next, since that was where the Tesseract was.

The Outriders were the first to exit the ship, swarming out in drones. They were hideous – and far too numerous to count.

The Compound defense system was activated and the first wave of aliens were blown up. However, that didn’t deter them in the least. Nebula had been right, these creatures had no sense of self-preservation (they probably had no sense of _self_ at all). They climbed up their fallen brethren and continued on.

“Be careful,” Thor told his companion. “Those claws look sharp.”

With that, he took to the air and launched himself into the fight.

He was only peripherally aware of his fellow Avengers as he smashed down the Outriders with a combination of lightening and actual hits from both Mjolnir and his own hands. He kept to the air as much as possible to keep out of the aliens’ reach, but every now and then he felt one of them grab at his legs or cape. The Outriders’ claws were indeed sharp, and Thor was thankful for his resilience. He was also glad most of the enemies had indeed come to the Compound, for if they had landed on a populated area all humans in their path would have been torn to pieces.

These aliens seemed even more vicious than the Chitauri, though also less intelligent. While the Chitauri had at least seemed to be able to work collectively, the Outriders did not. They were absolutely single-minded in their desire to destroy whatever they could reach with no regard to either their own lives of those of their brethren. It was quite sickening, really. Thor wondered who could have made such monsters.

The Iron Legion soared above him, firing as they went and taking care of a cluster of aliens that had been about to take Thor unaware. Thor looked around for a moment, trying to see if anyone else needed assistance, but it seemed Jarvis had it well in hand. Two legionnaires were covering T’Challa’s back while another two were stationed near a couple of sorcerers from Kamar-Taj that had joined them for the fight.

“Thor!” Rhodey shouted into the comms. “I need some help here!”

Thor responded immediately, getting higher so he could find his friend over the melee on the ground. He saw Rhodey battling a thin-looking alien. This one was different from the Outriders, and it clearly had powers. The creature was flinging dead Outriders and whatever bits and pieces were lying around at War Machine.

 _This must be Ebony Maw_ , Thor thought, remembering Nebula’s description of the members of the Black Order. Maw was the most dangerous one, she had said, both because of his telekinetic powers, which made him capable of long range attacks, and because of his intelligence. According to Nebula, Maw was cunning and utterly merciless, his devotion to Thanos and his insane plan unwavering.

Thor tried a sneak attack on Maw, coming up from behind him, but the other had clearly been aware of him. When Thor got close, a portion of the ground rose up like a shot and Thor barely had time to dodge. It still de-stabilized him enough that he went crashing into a group of Outriders, who were only too happy to slice at him.

It took him a moment to shake them off and free himself. By then Maw was again focused on Rhodey, and had pinned him down.

Thor threw Mjolnir at Maw. The alien raised a hand, probably thinking he could stop it with his telekinetic abilities, and was instead hit dead on. It didn’t keep him down for long, though. With a snarl, he brought his hands together and sent a bunch of debris at Thor.

At least the diversion was enough to help Rhodey put some distance between himself and Maw, getting up in the air and readying his missiles.

More gliders with Outriders came out of nowhere, though, and Rhodey and Thor were forced to fall back.

This was not going well.


	8. The battle begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we see what's going on with the away team while Earth is under attack.

They were approaching Knowhere. What they were going to find there, however, remained a mystery.

The news that Thanos already had the Power Stone had made everyone nervous, and significantly diminished their chances of success. As he watched the stars stream past, Loki started to get a little nervous – and he started to think maybe coming on this mission hadn’t been the best idea he’d ever had.

Yes, he was scared. Of course he was. That was only sensible, after all. Thanos was a dangerous opponent, and even more so now that he had one of the Stones. The memories of his time with Thanos were closer to the surface than they had been for quite some time, and it wasn’t exactly a good thing.

When he had first come out of the void, he hadn’t really noticed he was out. His senses had been all over the place and it had been hard to see or hear anything. Then, slowly, the darkness and maddening quiet had receded, leaving him gasping and shaky. Then the voice had reached him. Not Thanos, not at first. It was one of his lackeys. Loki had never learned his name, as the creature had not introduced himself, so he had dubbed the alien the Other in his mind.

It was the Other who had taken him to the little asteroid that was to be his home for far too long. Weak from his time in the void and still in a great deal of emotional turmoil over the events that had led him there, Loki hadn’t been in a very good position to fight. The Other had taken great delight in torturing Loki in various and creative ways, both physically and mentally. It had been a game to him at first, with no real plan behind it that Loki could see. Until Thanos had arrived. The Titan had seen an opportunity to use Loki, and that was when things had gotten _really_ bad. The addition of the power of the Mind Stone to the Other’s abilities had nearly broken Loki completely. It had only been his own stubbornness that had allowed him to cling to his sanity as much as he had. It had not, however, been enough to prevent his will from being usurped by his captors.

At the time he had left the Sanctuary, with orders to find the Space Stone and use it to open a portal to let the Chitauri through, Loki had been entirely under the Other’s control, the Mind Stone in the scepter serving as an anchor for the creature’s powers. Going through to Earth, however, had weakened that hold a little. And with a bit more distance from his enemies, Loki was able to find some loopholes to work through. He still had to obey, but since they had not specified exactly _how_ he should accomplish his goal, he’d had some leeway to… improvise.

When the Hulk had smashed him into the floor in Tony’s Tower, the connection between his mind and that of the Other had weakened further, and then disappeared entirely once the portal was closed. Finally, he had gotten free.

At least until Thor had dragged him back to Asgard and thrown him into the dungeons without a single question.

Loki shook his head and pushed the memories away. It was over, he told himself, though he wished he knew what had happened to the Other. Had Thanos killed him for the failure to bring the Space Stone (and for losing the Mind Stone)? Had he been given another chance to prove his loyalty? Loki would probably never know unless he ran into the bastard.

It had been stupid of Thanos to part with the Mind Stone to begin with, but perhaps he had been overly confident in his victory. Earth had certainly surprised Loki with their heroes and weapons.

Whatever the reason, he was grateful. There was no telling what Thanos would have been able to do if he had retained the Stone. He would have had two now instead of just the one.

And if he was able to get the Aether from the Collector… Well, that would be two. And that didn’t bear thinking about.

But Loki wasn’t going to focus on the negatives. They weren’t defeated yet, far from it. The element of surprise was still in their favor, and they had more allies now than they had when they had departed from Earth – even though the so-called Guardians of the Galaxy were not quite what Loki would have liked.

He still wasn’t sure what he thought about them, really.

At first sight, they didn’t seem particularly competent. From what Loki had observed, they had no clear leadership and seemed to be flying by the seat of their pants, as the human expression went. Groot, the Flora Colossus (which Loki had only ever heard about) acted a bit like a bratty teen – and was treated as such by the others. It was… a little disconcerting to think the creature might actually be that young, considering what they were likely to go up against.

Drax didn’t seem very intelligent and if all he had to contribute was brute strength, he would be quite useless. After all, Iron Man and the Hulk were a lot stronger and with better range. (As was Loki himself, of course.)

Mantis was clearly not a fighter at all. Loki wasn’t familiar with her species, and all the Guardians had said was that she had empathic powers that could influence emotions to a certain extent (not a skill Loki was thrilled about) and put people to sleep. She also seemed rather naïve and, like Groot, painfully young.

Peter Quill, the only human in the group – and who pretentiously called himself Star Lord – appeared to be perfectly average. As far as Loki could tell, he had no particular powers even though he had Celestial ancestry. Moreover, there was something about him that rubbed Loki the wrong way. Not that he was a bad person or untrustworthy, exactly. He just seemed really annoying. It was actually a little funny when he thought about it. Loki had lived with annoying people for centuries in Asgard (Thor’s friends being the most noteworthy), yet in the year and a half he had spent on Earth, he had almost forgotten what it was like to constantly want to strangle those around him. Even Thor didn’t elicit that urge in him anymore – which was probably why Quill grated on him so.

Rocket was just plain weird. Loki wasn’t sure if there was actually a species of raccoon-looking intelligent beings or it Rocket had been engineered. Some of the things he had said – and his overall demeanor – made Loki think it might be the latter. Still, he at least appeared to be competent in regards to tech, and Tony seemed to like him for that reason alone.

Gamora was the one Loki was most impressed with. The fact that she had grown up under Thanos and had not only survived but managed to break away from him to start her own life was admirable. She was clearly well trained and, even more than Nebula perhaps, highly motivated to stopping Thanos and ending his existence for good.

All in all, Loki had no idea how useful the Guardians as a whole were going to be, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. These were the allies they had, so they would have to make do and hope for the best.

After the two groups had shared all the information they had, they had proceeded to try to come up with a plan of action. Checking on the Aether became their highest priority, and they had set course for Knowhere. Once there, though… That was when things might get complicated. If the Stone was still there, they would have to find a way to take it from the Collector (according to Gamora, his name was Tivan), since that location was compromised. If Thanos had already managed to get it, well… Then their mission would have been a failure, and they would need to return to Earth as fast as they could.

There was, however, a third possibility, which was that they would actually find Thanos there in the process of acquiring the Stone. And then they would have to fight.

A part of Loki dreaded that possibility. He would have been quite happy never to lay eyes on the Mad Titan again. There was another part, however, that wanted revenge for all the pain and suffering the bastard had put him through. Thanos had to be killed, there was no other possibility, and Loki would not be averse to being the one to do it. Of course, he was not the only one who had reason to want revenge. Gamora and Nebula had suffered even more than him, he was sure – how could they not, having been raised by that lunatic – and there was also Drax, who had lost his family, and even Tony himself (after all, Aemon had been sent to kill him as well as to take the Mind Stone, somewhat on the Titan’s orders).

“All right, guys, buckle up,” Tony called from the co-pilot chair. “We’re getting ready to land.”

Their ship followed the Guardians’, since they had been here before, to Tivan’s place.

Loki had never met the Collector, he’d only heard stories. He had interrogated Volstagg and Sif after they had returned from leaving the Aether there, yet their account of the man hadn’t been particularly useful. They had described the place they had seen with poorly disguised disdain.

“A collection of useless trinkets,” Volstagg had said, “with no rhyme or reason to any of it.”

Sif had been even less flattering. “The Collector himself is pompous and vapid. He is clearly no warrior.” In Sif’s eyes, there could be no greater insult than that.

The Collector might not be a warrior in the way Asgard thought of it, but that didn’t mean the man was defenseless. They would have to be careful about approaching him. He would certainly not take kindly to people coming in to steal his treasures. It would be better to attempt a negotiation, Loki thought, though he couldn’t really think of anything they could offer in return right at this moment.

Well, they’d just have to improvise.

“Is the Stone still here?” Bruce asked, squinting into the readings in the control panel.

“It’s here,” Nebula replied.

Strange breathed a sigh of relief, as did everyone. “Well, that’s good.”

“Gamora? Can you hear me?” Nebula continued.

“Yes.”

“The Stone is here.”

“Awesome.” It was Quill’s voice. “Let’s go get it.”

The two groups exited the ships and Loki and Strange used a spell to keep them protected from any would-be thieves. They would go the rest of the way on foot.

“Okay, people. We are here for the Stone. Nothing more,” Tony said. “We get it and we get out.”

Everyone nodded.

There were quite a lot of people around as they made their way to the Collector. Some of the aliens looked very bizarre, but no one seemed particularly concerned with their group. Perhaps they would indeed be able to get in and out quietly.

Of course, it couldn’t possibly be that easy. When had anything in Loki’s life been easy?

*****

Nebula was on high alert. The fact that the place was still crowded was a good indication that Thanos hadn’t arrived yet, but they needed to be quick. With the Power Stone in his possession, he could make his ship go a lot faster.

It was not exactly surprising that Thanos had managed to get his hands on the Stone, though Nebula had hoped that Xandar would have done a better job of guarding it.

She consoled herself with the knowledge that it was only one (for now). They still had time to stop him.

The journey from Earth had given her the chance to get to know her new human allies a little better. In a way, they reminded her of Gamora’s self-styled ‘Guardians’; their personalities were vastly different, but there was a sense of comradery between them that was the same. Unlike Gamora’s friends, however, the humans weren’t quite so suspicious of Nebula. Of course, Nebula had never tried to kill them.

All in all, it wasn’t unpleasant to be around them. She still felt as if she didn’t fit in very well, but then, when had she ever fit in anywhere? At least she didn’t feel entirely out of place. In fact, she had gathered, by observing them, that the Avengers also knew what it was like to not fit in. Her crewmates for this mission had once been outcasts as well, yet they had found somewhere to belong. Could it be that Nebula might find a place for herself too? Either with them or with Gamora’s crew?

If they survived this, it might be an idea worth exploring.

They had just arrived at the Collector’s place and were about to go in when they heard it: the sound of ships landing and people scrambling madly to get out of the way. The entire group turned to look at the source of the noise and there it was. Or rather, there _they_ were.

One of the Black Order’s ships and the Sanctuary, Thanos’s own ship.

 _Fuck_.

“Thanos,” she hissed.

Around her, all her companions tensed. Nebula met her sister’s eyes and nodded. Whatever it took, they were going to end it. Thanos had to be stopped – and they had to be free of him.

“Fuck, we’re too late,” Stark said. “We can’t let him get the Stone.” He powered up his suit and flew through the entryway, Loki right on his heels.

After a moment, everyone else followed suit.

“What is the meaning of this?” Tivan asked. “You can’t walk in here like this.” While he appeared calm, his eyes twitched ever so slightly as the noise from the outside of his shop/museum/whatever he called it became louder.

“We’re here for the Aether,” Loki said. He was now wearing an outfit more appropriate for battle. “I am Loki of Asgard. You were sent the Aether from us and now we need it back. We can arrange a suitable replacement later, but we really must have it now.”

The Collector smiled condescendingly. “I’m afraid that will not be possible.”

“We don’t have time for this shit,” Stark interjected, opening up the faceplate on his suit to look at Tivan directly. “Hear that?” He pointed back to the way they had come. “That’s Thanos and his minions. They have come for the Aether and they’re going to go through whoever they need to in order to get it. He already has one Stone, we can’t let him get his hands on another. So give us the Stone. NOW.”

Tivan knew of Thanos, and at the mention of the Titan’s name his haughtiness disappeared and he began to look worried. “Perhaps we can come to an arrangement after all,” he said.

“We don’t have time for an arrangement.” It was Rocket who spoke now. “Remember us?”

The Collector narrowed his eyes when he noticed the Guardians. “You were going to sell me the Orb, which destroyed my beautiful home. Then you went back on our deal.”

“Yeah, be thankful for that,” Gamora snapped, “Or you would have been dead long ago.”

“For fuck’s sake, we don’t have time for this shit.” Stark yelled. “Do you want this whole place destroyed? Again? Because that’s going to happen in a few minutes if you don’t give us the damn Stone.”

Nebula, Gamora, Mantis and Strange were already searching through the shelves and displays. Perhaps they could find it without help from him.

“What does this thing look like?” Quill asked. He had taken a gun out and was pointing it at the Collector, perhaps in the hope of speeding things up. Nebula approved. This was not the time to negotiate.

“It’s a small transparent case with swirling red mist inside,” Loki replied.

“I don’t see it,” Gamora said.

“Tell us where it is,” Stark insisted, powering up his own weapons. “And hurry up, ‘cause I’m really starting to lose my patience.”

The noise from outside was growing. They could now hear panicked shouts and what might have been energy blasts coming from the area outside the shop. Nebula traded a look with her sister and then with their humans allies.

“We’ll hold them off. Find the damn thing,” Nebula told Stark, and took off running with Gamora and several of the others after them.

It was complete chaos out there. Nebula could see two members of the Black Order, Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight, though there was no sign of Thanos. Perhaps he was still on his ship? However, aside from those hated sycophants they had another problem: the Outriders were coming out of the Order’s ship.

Some of the miners and other shop owners were firing at the newcomers, but they were clearly outmatched.

“Shit,” Banner said, and Nebula had to agree. The Order alone would have been bad enough; add in the Outriders and they were in real trouble. “Guess it’s time for the Big Guy.”

Even though she had seen it before, it was still an extraordinary sight. One moment, Banner was a small, unremarkable man; then his body began to change. He got bigger and bigger and his skin went from the regular human hue to a solid green, darker than Gamora. The whole thing took only a moment, and there was the Hulk, the creature who had felled a Leviathan ship with a single punch. Instinctively, Nebula took a step backwards, not wanting to be accidentally swatted.

The Hulk stood as tall as Thanos, and he let out a fierce roar before diving into the mass of Outriders.

“Holy shit,” Quill said, mouth hanging slightly open. “Where did you find that guy?” he asked Nebula.

She smirked. “On your planet.”

“You’ve been holding out on us, Quill,” Rocket said. “You never said your planet had cool people like that.”

“That’s because I didn’t know.”

“Thanos!”

The shout drew everyone’s attention. Drax had seen Thanos, and he was charging at him at full throttle.

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Gamora muttered, and, with a last look at where the Hulk was making mince pie out of the Outriders, ran at the Titan.

Nebula figured the Hulk had things well in hand. The Guardians were taking the Outriders who escaped the Hulk’s wrath and Gamora and Drax were heading for Thanos, so Nebula went back to the Collector’s shop. Perhaps Stark and Loki had had some luck finding the Stone.

“Do you have it?” She asked as soon as she was inside.

Loki was staring Tivan down with a furious expression on his face. Strange was waving his hands around, making weird yellows sparks appear everywhere. Nebula hoped that was some way to detect the Stone. Stark’s faceplate was down again, so she couldn’t see his face, but he had one hand outstretched in the Collector’s direction.

“There are too many weird things here, the readings are all over the place. I can’t pinpoint the Aether in the midst of all this junk,” Stark replied. “Strange? Any luck?”

The sorcerer shook his head.

“All right. The time for asking nicely is over.” Loki advanced on Tivan. Loki was not a big man, but there was an air of menace around him. He conjured up a couple of knives and brandished them around with obvious skill, Nebula noted. He might not be the bloodthirsty type, yet it would be a mistake to underestimate him. The Collector seemed to get that, for he backed up, hands held up, as much as he could go.

“All right. I will tell you.” He walked to the wall farthest from the entrance and activated some kind of hidden panel. A small pocket detached itself from the wall and Loki hurried to yank it out and inspect its contents.

“This is it,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”

That was when the wall in the north side to the shop burst open and there was Thanos, a smug smile on his face. Stars, how Nebula hated him.

“Well, well,” the Titan said, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “What do we have here?”

On his left hand there as a golden gauntlet with six indentations, one in each of the knuckles and another in the back of the hand. Only one of the spots – the one on the index finger – was occupied. In it was the Power Stone, shining a bright purple.

Thanos looked over all of them calmly, his eyes lingering on Nebula and Loki. “I see some familiar faces,” he said, and Nebula felt herself tense. She knew that tone. It was a tone that meant pain. “You have displeased me, daughter,” he told her. “I gave you many chances and you squandered them all. It is clear now I was mistaken about you. Rest assure that this mistake will be rectified.”

“It will be rectified when I kill you,” she snarled, though her entire body was trembling in fear. She was not stupid enough to attack him, though. That would accomplish nothing except get her killed.

“And you, little godling,” Thanos said to Loki, who still held the case with the Aether. “You were given a task and you failed at it. Worse, you lost two of my Stones.”

Loki made a gesture and the case with the Stone disappeared. “Failed? Oh, no, I did exactly what I wanted to do. It is _you_ who failed. I was never and will _never_ be your puppet,” he hissed.

Thanos only smiled again. “We’ll see–”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, because Stark deployed a weapon from his suit and Thanos was forced to dodge or get hit in the face.

“No time for chit-chatting, people. Let’s roll!” Stark said, and took to the air.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nebula saw the Collector escaping through a side door she hadn’t noticed before. Coward. At least he’d given them the Stone. Now all they had to do was keep it out of Thanos’s hands.

Nebula looked around at Tivan’s collection to see if there was anything that might be useful against Thanos. She had no idea what any of these things were, but there had to be a weapon of some kind here. Or at least something that would make a big explosion.

She had just spotted something that seemed promising when a wave of energy knocked her off her feet, shattering several display cases. Raising her arms to protect her face, Nebula took cover behind a table.

Damn it. She could only hope Gamora and the rest of the Guardians were okay.

*****

This was not the way things were supposed to go, Bruce thought as he called up the transformation into the Hulk. It was much easier now. Instead of the horror and the feeling of loss of control that used to accompany it, now it was more like putting on a suit of armor. (He had come up with that comparison after he had tried on the Iron Man suit out of curiosity. It had been a really memorable experience. Honestly, he didn’t know how Tony did it; using the suit was _hard_.) There was no longer a dissonance between Bruce and the Hulk; the two were one and the same. Hulk was still Bruce (mostly), only in a different body. It wasn’t exactly like the shape-shifting Loki had described, though, because his perception – and his instincts – did change along with his body, but it was close.

Once upon a time, Bruce had thought the Hulk was a curse, a sort of punishment for his arrogance and stupidity. He had spent ages trying to find a way to reverse the process – to get rid of the Hulk, as if such a thing was possible – with little to show for it except the ruin of his own life and relationships. Granted, General Ross hunting him down like and animal had played a part in that, but Bruce could now recognize that he might have been able to handle things better if running away like a coward had not been his first response to the situation. It was because he had run that Ross had felt the need to chase him, after all.

It had taken a long time – and a lot of grief for both himself and a lot of other people – for Bruce to realize that his habit of running away wasn’t the healthiest way to cope. It had taken an even longer time for him to forgive himself for his own (real and perceived) short-comings. He could not deny the benefits of it, though.

One of them was the ease with which he could now transform and everything associated with the Hulk.

He had once told Rogers that his secret to the transformation was the fact that he was always angry, and thus always a hair’s breadth away from it. That was back when he’d thought anger was the key, of course. It wasn’t. It had been mostly fear that had driven him before – the Hulk, as Tony had correctly told him when they had first met, was all about _protection_. Now the key was neither fear or anger. He could simply will it, and it happened.

He was no longer at war with himself, but had made peace with both sides of him. The Hulk had never been a separate – monstrous – entity, only a different manifestation of his own conscience. The scared boy he had once been, filled with fear and impotent anger. The part that had wanted to rage against the injustice of the world. The part he had suppressed for most of his life, until an experiment gone wrong had brought it to the forefront in physical form.

Back during the first invasion, Bruce had wanted to be far away from anything remotely dangerous. The only reason he had agreed to follow Natasha at all was because he didn’t think she (meaning SHIELD) was going to just let him go, and he figured he might as well go of his own volition. Pretending to cooperate so he could find a less violent way out was preferable to outright refusal, which might mean an unexpected Hulk appearance. Then, when the Chitauri had actually come through the portal – and hadn’t _that_ been terrifying – Bruce had had Tony’s words in his mind urging him to do something. He still hadn’t been sure it was a good idea to get too involved, so afterwards he had taken off as fast as he could, taking advantage of the few brownie points he thought he’d been able to score.

In hindsight, he knew he should have stayed. For a lot of reasons, one of them being that hiding had done nothing to solve his problems.

Now, however, it was a completely different situation. He was no longer afraid of getting involved in fights. And, more importantly, he knew he could not let his friends and the people of Earth (of the universe) down. If there was any way he could help, it was his duty to do so. Even though he had been a little apprehensive about being on the ship, he knew that he would be a valuable asset to the mission.

It only took a moment after the transformation was complete for him to get his bearings and assess the best thing to do. The creepy aliens were everywhere, and Bruce could see bystanders running in a panic, escaping one cluster of aliens only to be sliced down by another. Just because these people weren’t human didn’t mean he was going to let them be slaughtered just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

He jumped into the fray.

His priority was getting rid of the aliens attacking the people, giving them time to escape. In his peripheral view, he saw that his companions were doing more or less the same. Quill was shooting at the aliens with wild abandon, yelling something Bruce couldn’t understand. Next to him, Rocket was doing much the same, wielding a gun that was almost as tall as he was. Groot had extended his arms into clubs and was using them to knock the aliens out. Mantis was staying close to the tree, a small gun in her hand. Drax had a couple of daggers he was using to slice as many Outriders as he could reach, intent on getting to Thanos, who had just exited the bigger ship. Gamora was right behind him.

The Avengers were nowhere to be seen, so Bruce assumed they were trying to get the Aether from the Collector.

Keeping an eye on Drax and Gamora’s progress in reaching Thanos, Bruce continued to smash the Outriders. There was a sort of savage satisfaction in squishing the disgusting creatures under his hands despite the blood and guts spraying all over him. While Bruce retained his mind now, being the Hulk came with a viciousness that Bruce didn’t feel in his regular body. This was the part of him that _liked_ smashing things, that thrived in reducing his enemies to smithereens. For these aliens in particular, that feeling was even more pronounced.

There were two other aliens besides Thanos and the Outriders. Bruce figured they were the Black Order Nebula had told them about. The female was obviously the one called Proxima Midnight. The male was probably Corvus Glaive, given the weapon he was carrying. While Bruce had been taking care of the Outriders, they had made their way to the Collector’s place, and were now going up against Quill, Rocket, Groot and Mantis in order to get inside. Bruce took care of the last of the Outriders near him and jumped over to help them.

“You have no chance against us,” Glaive said, swinging his weapon and almost taking Quill’s head off with it. “We are the Black Order, loyal servants of Thanos.”

“I thought there were four of you,” Quill said, getting back on the ground after his hasty take off. “What happened to the others? On vacation?”

“They have another task. Another quest in the name of our Master.”

Bruce did not like the sound of that at all. Were they headed for Earth? Or Asgard? Or were they off destroying a random planet for shits and giggles?

“Yeah, well, this is gonna be your last quest.”

“Stand aside or die.”

Midnight didn’t wait for the Guardians to decide, just attacked. She went for Mantis first, who yelped and jumped out of the way.

“Hey, leave her alone!” Quill shot at the woman, but she used her spear to parry the blow.

Groot extended his arms into vines to try and trap her while Bruce advanced on Glaive. The alien was faster than Bruce had expected, so he was able evade the punch.

“Look out!” Rocket shouted, and Bruce saw more of the Outriders coming their way.

Fuck.


	9. Earth defenders

T’Challa wasn’t sure exactly what he had expected, but it wasn’t this.

This was utter chaos. It was complete madness. And it was absolutely terrifying.

The aliens – Outriders, they were called, though monsters might be a more accurate name – were still pouring out of the ship despite the shots coming from the Compound’s defense systems. While with each shot a bunch of aliens were eliminated, it didn’t really seem to make a difference. Far too many of them escaped the range of the weapons and kept going, uncaring of the corpses they had to climb over.

From the moment they had been warned of this ship’s approach, T’Challa had been nervous. It had made things real in a way that the planning of the mission to space had not been able to. Perhaps because no one had had any real idea of what to expect from there; everything had been very theoretical and, at least for T’Challa, it had sounded a lot like an adventure. After the away group had departed, though, and the ones left behind had been so obviously worried (and afraid), T’Challa had realized how utterly stupid that thought had been.

He hadn’t had a lot of time to dwell on it; there had been quite a lot to do since the announcement of the coming invasion. T’Challa’s main job had been to help the troops arriving at the Compound, outfitting them with the vibranium-laced armors Wakanda had provided and explaining how they worked.

It wasn’t until they had heard the alien’s voice in response to their message that it had really sunk in that this was it. They would either win or Earth would be changed forever. That cold, dispassionate voice had sent chills down his spine in a way nothing else ever had. It had evoked a visceral terror that they (him) would not be enough to protect the planet.

Now the time was here and T’Challa found that he was not at all prepared. The sight of the hideous aliens advancing on the grounds of the Compound set his heart racing and for a moment he was utterly frozen.

Then Thor took to the skies to engage the aliens and that brought T’Challa out of his paralysis. However, he quickly realized how outmatched he was. Even with the improvements to the Black Panther suit (longer claws, better maneuverability and some new offensive features like small grenades), he was still essentially only one man surrounded by murderous aliens intent on destroying everything in their path.

 _I won’t be able to do much against these guys_ , he thought with a mixture of anger, regret and frustration. He couldn’t help remembering a news report he had seen a couple of days ago, in which a man had raved that Captain America should be released from prison in order to help fight the invaders. While that opinion had not been at all popular, a few fanatics had taken up the cry – and were summarily ignored by everyone who had any power to even consider such a thing. Now T’Challa wondered what those people actually thought Rogers would be able to do. _He would be just as outmatched as I am. Just as useless_.

Fortunately, T’Challa was not alone. War Machine and the Iron Legion flew over him and started firing at the creatures. T’Challa took a deep breath and focused. He might not be the most powerful Avenger here, but he would do all he could anyway.

It soon became hard to think of anything except staying alive. The Outriders were relentless in their charge. The vibranium armor held against their claws, though, and prevented T’Challa from being shred to pieces. Even so, at times their sheer numbers were enough to nearly overwhelm him, and he needed his teammates’ intervention to get him out of their grasp. Thankfully, they had his back. Two Legionnaires landed next to him and stayed, helping him dispatch as many aliens as possible from the ground.

He was well aware that Jarvis didn’t particularly like him, though the AI was always polite when speaking to him, which didn’t actually happen often. Because Jarvis was rarely physically anywhere, it was pretty easy for him to ignore anyone he wanted, and T’Challa was one of those. In fact, T’Challa seemed to be the _only_ one to be so completely ignored. He had no idea what to do about it, and he felt weird addressing an empty room for a personal conversation. It would have been much simpler to deal with it if Jarvis had a body like Friday, something for T’Challa to look at, a face for him to apologize to.

The entire idea of a real Artificial Intelligence had thrown T’Challa for a loop when he had first heard of it following Jarvis’s official inclusion into the Avengers. He had sought out the scientists in Wakanda to understand how such a thing could exist, and they hadn’t been able to offer more than conjecture. No one in Wakanda (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter) had ever come close to developing a true AI, and no one was really sure how Tony Stark had done it. It should be impossible, the scientists had said, a mixture of suspicion and awe in their expressions.

T’Challa had never learned the details. There had been, he knew, a technical explanation for the Panel, but it wasn’t one he had access to – and, even if he did, he probably wouldn’t have understood much of it anyway. While T’Challa wasn’t in any way ignorant about matters of technology, computer programming was not his area of expertise. In the end, of course, it didn’t really matter how it had been done. Jarvis and Friday were real – they were Avengers – and that was all he really needed to know.

Right now, T’Challa was unquestionably glad for them, particularly Jarvis. Despite the fact that Jarvis had likely not forgiven T’Challa for abandoning Tony Stark in that Hydra bunker (and he had certainly not forgotten it either), the AI was fighting beside him and doing his best to protect him. It made T’Challa feel even more ashamed of his actions in Siberia.

“Thank you,” he told Jarvis after they had dispatched the Outriders in their immediate vicinity.

There was no reply, and T’Challa wasn’t even sure Jarvis had heard him. The expressionless mask of the Iron Legion made it impossible to read any kind of emotion from him.

“The troops in the west side require assistance. We must leave.” Without waiting for a response, one of the Legionnaires grabbed T’Challa and flew in the right direction, the other one following.

T’Challa was dropped (gently) on the ground where a group of army officers were about to be surrounded. The repulsor shots from the Legionnaires and T’Challa’s grenades made short work of the Outriders.

“Is anyone hurt, Major Gomez?” Jarvis asked.

“Just scratches,” the leader of the unit said. “Thanks for the help.”

“Stay with them and guard this side,” Jarvis told T’Challa and the two suits took off.

T’Challa nodded. He saw some of the sorcerers from Kamar-Taj run by them doing their part, sending aliens into portals to heaven knew where and blowing up others. Two jets flew past to attack the ship, firing a couple of missiles each into it. The first two hit the shield and did no damage, but the others seemed to weaken it at least a little. They circled back and were getting ready for another pass when a cluster of gliders that had just left the ship collided with them and caused an explosion.

“Fuck!” Gomez said.

For a moment it was hard to see anything past the smoke, then T’Challa saw that one of the pilots had been able to eject himself from the jet. There was no sign of the other one.

Another glider came out of nowhere and headed for the parachute. T’Challa tensed, but there was nothing he could do from here. The glider had almost reached the airman when a Legionnaire showed up and shot it down, grabbing the pilot and taking him to safety. T’Challa let out a sigh of relief while the officers next to him cheered loudly.

“Damn, those suits are great,” someone said. “I wish I had one.”

Major Gomez snorted. “You’d fall flat on your face if you tried. It’s not like driving a car, or even a jet.”

“Heads up, everyone!” A woman yelled. “Incoming!”

T’Challa turned and saw that more Outriders were indeed on their way to them.

“Get into formation and let’s fry these bastards,” Gomez commanded.

The entire unit took position as one, getting their weapons ready. Someone shoved a gun in T’Challa’s hand and he fell into step with the rest of them.

“Fire!”

The volley of energy blasts mixed with regular bullets hit the aliens dead on, but some of them managed to get through. T’Challa leapt up and activated his claws to slash at them as fast as he could before they reached the soldiers, though a few did get past him. However, the officers were ready and within minutes all aliens were dead.

“Damn, look at that guy!” one of the soldiers said, pointing at something.

T’Challa turned in that direction and saw a different alien, this one as big as the Hulk and holding a huge axe, running to the east side of the Compound. A Legionnaire tried to intercept it and was nearly cut in half with a mighty swing of the axe.

“Jesus!” Gomez shouted.

“Thank god it’s empty,” someone else said, and T’Challa had to agree. If there had been a person inside the suit, they would probably be dead.

Two more Legionnaires, Spider-Man and Iron Lady arrived to take on the alien, but T’Challa didn’t see the rest of the fight. Another group of Outriders was approaching, and his unit had to focus on their own battle.

At least the Stones were still safe.

*****

Jarvis was everywhere. He was used to that, of course, but this was stretching his processing power further than he had ever done. It was, however, necessary.

There were a dozen Legionnaires chasing after the first few hundred gliders that had left the ship. Most of the aliens had already been shot down, yet a few dozen still remained. Jets from the US and Canadian Air Force had joined him in pursuit of the stray gliders and Jarvis estimated that they would finish taking care of most of the enemy soon. It was possible, however, that some would escape, so Jarvis had set up a program to use the satellites to track those down and alert the local forces of wherever they ended up. Based on their trajectory at the time they had exited the ship, they were most likely headed to the Western coast of Africa, though it would still take them a while to arrive. Enough time to get the response teams ready to deal with them, he hoped.

Through the Compound’s defense system, Jarvis was busy monitoring the approaching aliens – and taking them down when he could. Jarvis was in constant contact with Master Hamir from the Masters of the Mystic Arts, so the latter could direct his sorcerers and the other troops to wherever they were needed through portals. For the moment, they were maintaining the perimeter. Some Outriders had tried to go in the opposite direction, away from the Compound and towards the nearby towns, and had been either killed or re-directed back to where the various military groups were stationed thanks to the sorcerers’ quick work.

Colonel Benton was coordinating the soldiers both on the ground and in the air from the inside the Compound’s command center with Jarvis’s help. There was a lot to do, since the Outriders seemed endless. So far the weapons the soldiers had been outfitted with were doing their job quite well. The design was the result of a mixture of SI, Pym and Wakanda technology, with different types for specific purposes. The ones in the jets were based on repulsor tech, and were able to take down an alien glider with a single shot. The ground vehicles used by the army troops were reinforced with vibranium plates and long range weapons, and had been very effective in eliminating the Outriders on foot from a safe distance. Other ground units had grenades that incorporated Pym particles, which allowed them to be light and still pack a hell of a punch. All troops were wearing body armor with some vibranium lined in for extra protection.

Despite all their precautions, however, there had been casualties. The Outriders were easily killed from a distance, but in close combat their sharp claws (coming from so many limbs) could do quite a lot of damage. Jarvis sent Legionnaires to help where he could, carrying injured soldiers to a safer location where they could be evacuated to a medical facility that had been set up for that purpose. This facility was not at the Compound, since that had been deemed too risky; it was a ward in a nearby hospital, accessed by portal. Since the beginning of the attack, 15 soldiers and 3 sorcerers had been taken there, though Jarvis could not spare the attention to check on their status.

The Avengers were also quite busy. Hope was staying near the Compound with the military troops, using her ability to fly to weave through the Outriders that got too close to plant small explosive devices (a design that her father, Hank Pym, had helped develop) to blow them up.

As good as his suit was for personal protection, it was still fairly easy for T’Challa to be overwhelmed by the Outriders if he were left alone, so Jarvis had gotten some Legionnaires to watch his back. When the suits had been needed elsewhere, Jarvis had carried T’Challa over to a group of soldiers. They would help him and he could help them in return.

Young Peter Parker had portaled in after they had confirmed that the ship was indeed hostile and a battle had seemed inevitable. No one was really that happy that he was there, yet there was no denying that they needed all hands on deck for this. Spider-Man, wearing the new Iron Spider suit, had started out dealing with the Outriders, webbing them together to make them an easier target for the soldiers and Legionnaires. However, once the Black Order themselves had entered the fight, Jarvis had instructed him to engage with them, since regular troops would have no chance against them. He was currently running circles around Cull Obsidian along with Friday and two Legionnaires Jarvis had sent to help them.

Thor and Colonel Rhodes were fighting Ebony Maw. The leader of the Black Order was a skilled opponent, able to use everything in his vicinity as weapons, including a few destroyed Legionnaires that had not been able to withstand his powers.

The Iron Legion were not as durable as Sir’s suit. First, since there was no pilot inside to get hurt, there was no need for them to be so impenetrable. Second, with so many of them necessary, it would have been far too costly to make them top of the line, as it were, so their weapons were also less than those of Iron Man. They had been initially designed for crowd control, to maintain a perimeter and protect bystanders from debris and collateral damage during Avengers battles. After the Ultron disaster, when Jarvis was believed to be dead, the Iron Legion had been decommissioned. With and Jarvis’s return, the signing of the Sokovia Accords and plans for a global defense system, Sir had restarted the project. The new Iron Legion was meant to be used for both rescue missions and combat situations, so there were two basic designs. The rescue units were intended to carry passengers (provided they could fit inside) and assist in maintaining structural integrity of buildings in disaster areas, though of course they had defensive and offensive capabilities as well. The combat units had more weapons and were tougher overall. While they had both proven to be effective against the Outriders, it was not quite the case with the members of the Black Order.

Even War Machine’s heavier artillery had not been able to do much to Maw.

Jarvis made a quick analysis of the situation and concluded that Thor’s use of Mjolnir had had the best success so far, which he relayed to the two Avengers.

The Asgardian nodded and, while Jarvis and War Machine kept the alien occupied, tried to get another good hit in.

Further away, Spider-Man had used the same trick on Obsidian that he had once used with Scott Lang in the airport fight in Leipzig – entangling the alien’s legs with his webs until the creature lost his balance and toppled to the ground. Unfortunately, Obsidian was quite strong and was able to tear up the webs and free himself. The giant swung his axe again and another Legionnaire that had gotten closer for a more powerful shot was destroyed.

At this rate, there wouldn’t be many Legionnaires left by the end of the battle. Already he had lost approximately 40% of them, most of them rescue units. Still, if their ‘sacrifice’ kept human fighters alive, Jarvis considered it a job well done. After all, he could always build more Legionnaires; a person could not be so replaced.

There were yet more Outriders coming out of the ship, and Jarvis decided that getting rid of it and whatever remaining aliens were inside had to be a priority, otherwise they would be overrun when the troops got tired and their efficiency began dropping. Plus, without a ship the two members of Black Order would not be able to escape even if they were to get the Stones. He dispatched several Legionnaires to bombard it with as much as he could, but the results were disappointing. He simply didn’t have enough fire power to get through the ship’s shield.

Then another idea occurred to him for how to take care of the threat.

“Vision, I need your help to destroy the ship,” he told his brother.

So far Vision had remained inside the Compound in order to keep the Mind Stone hidden from the invaders. However, it was clear now that Thanos was not here. With Maw and Obsidian engaged with the Avengers, Vision could portal to the ship without either of them seeing him. He might be able to slip inside and damage it from within. If he could get the shield disarmed, that would allow Jarvis to get through with the weapons at his disposal.

While he explained the plan to Vision, another part of his attention was focused on the fight with Obsidian. Peter was quick enough to stay out of the giant’s reach, but he wasn’t really making much headway in taking the alien down. Jarvis imagined that Peter was reluctant to use lethal force, and he understood why. However, this was a not a battle where they could afford to be lenient or merciful.

“Friday, we need to end this,” Jarvis said in their private channel.

Friday’s suit had better weapons than the Legionnaires, and was more durable as well. He did not really wish to ask her to kill a sentient being (the Outriders seemed more like rabid dogs than intelligent creatures), just as he did not want to ask it of Peter. Both were, each in their own way, quite young, and should not have this kind of responsibility on their shoulders. Unfortunately, they were running out of options. If Obsidian got past them into the Compound – or into the path of the soldiers guarding it – it could be disastrous.

“What do you want me to do?” Friday asked, dodging the alien’s axe.

“Concentrate your fire on the head.”

Obsidian seemed to have a very thick hide, and so far none of their repulsor shots had been able to penetrate its skin enough to do any real damage. Still, maybe if they kept at it, they might get some results.

It would be better if they had a sword or even a dagger, Jarvis thought. He made a note to discuss it with Sir for a future upgrade. Sir’s new nano suit could be shaped into different things, and would undoubtedly have been quite useful here. It was unfortunate that, as a new and incredibly complex design, Sir had only been able to make one of those. Jarvis had to make do with the Legionnaires. There were other Iron Man suits, but while Jarvis could use them, they were made for Sir, and were thus much less efficient without him. Even so, perhaps it was time to deploy them.

From the Tower, Marks 26 and 27 took flight, heading for the Compound. Jarvis told Friday to keep trying to take Obsidian down and that reinforcements were on the way.

Elsewhere, Thor had managed to hit Maw a couple of times, and the alien was now bleeding from a cut on his forehead. Col Rhodes, however, had gotten hit himself and the suit had suffered some damage. It was still functional, but at 70% capacity.

“Colonel, I’ve deployed the Hulk Buster armor to assist you. ETA 6 minutes.”

On the south side, another group of soldiers was about to get cornered by the Outriders, and Jarvis asked Master Hamir to send help for them since none of his Legionnaires were close enough.

They were still a long way from winning this fight, and Jarvis had to be everywhere.

*****

Sitting in a room watching his friends and allies battling aliens without being able to help was not Vision’s idea of fun. When he had seen the Outriders, he had instinctively gotten up to join them before remembering why he couldn’t. His job was to protect the Stone, to keep the invaders from getting it.

Wong had the Time Stone, safely ensconced within the Eye of Agamotto, around his neck. The Soul Stone had been placed in a special container much like the one which had once housed the Tesseract, though smaller and easier to carry, and was also in the sorcerer’s possession. They had considered hiding the Stones in one of the many dimensions the sorcerers could access via portals, but had ultimately decided against it because they didn’t know what kind of side effects something like that might cause. It had been left as a possibility in an emergency, in case the aliens got too close to taking them.

For now there was nothing to do but wait.

Vision kept his eyes on the screens showing the fight around the Compound. His hands twitched nervously in his lap and he got up to pace a bit every now and then.

Not being able to do anything was incredibly frustrating. The last time Vision had felt this way was in the aftermath of the Civil War, when he had been forced to reevaluate his interactions with all the Avengers and his own choices while waiting for news on both Tony and Rhodey’s health. He remembered feeling utterly useless – and angry. He had been angry at Rogers and the rest of the rogue Avengers for the hurt they had caused, and he had also been angry with himself for his role in the events that unfolded, particularly Rhodey’s injury. Wanda Maximoff had been another target of his anger, for her stubborn refusal to see the consequences of her actions and for her unprovoked attack on him.

In the intervening years since that incident, he had dealt with his anger, guilt and regret over it. He had learned a valuable lesson in trust and responsibility, and had sought to make amends where he could. For the most part, he had moved on and made a life for himself that wasn’t just about being an Avenger.

Despite all that, however, he had been unprepared for this. For the anxiety and fear of an actual invasion – not to mention the worry about what might have happened to the away team. No one had spoken about it after the initial discussion with the Panel, as they had all had far too much to do, but the thought was there in the back of everyone’s minds, Vision was sure. Had Tony and the others been successful in securing the two remaining Stones? Had they met the Titan? Had there been a fight? And if so, who had prevailed? Worse, how would the Avengers on Earth know one way or another?

Vision took an unnecessary breath and refocused. It would do him no good to think about that, not when there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he could do about _anything_ , it seemed.

On the screens, Thor and Rhodey were doing their best against Ebony Maw, but it did not seem to be enough. Peter and Friday were battling Cull Obsidian with no better luck. Clearly the members of the Black Order would not be easily defeated.

 _I have to help them somehow_ , Vision thought, getting up to pace once again. What good was he to anyone just sitting here? He could keep the Stone safe and still help, surely.

He was just about to leave the room to do something when Jarvis called to ask for his assistance.

 _Finally_. “What do you need me to do?” he said, phasing through walls under Jarvis’s direction in order to circle the Compound and reach the alien ship.

It was easy enough to leave the Compound building and make his way across the battlefield, taking down as many Outriders as he could reach. A couple of gliders tried to intercept him, but Vision merely increased his density and they crashed against him, leaving him to continue on unimpeded.

As he reached the ship, he couldn’t help a shiver of apprehension, wary of what he might find inside it. Even though part of his own composition was not of Earth, it didn’t make him any more knowledgeable about alien matters. Nevertheless, he had a job to do, and he was going to do it.

Getting in was not as simple as he expected. He was unable to simply phase inside as he had planned, even through the doorway, for the force field did not let him through. It puzzled him, since clearly the Outriders and their gliders had no trouble leaving. The shield must have had some way of recognizing them in order to allow them passage. Perhaps Vision could use that to fool the system. He could also try to blast his way through, but he would prefer to test another method first, in case the sensors in the ship were able to detect the energy signature of the Stone in his head.

So he looked around and found a mostly intact corpse nearby. With a great deal of distaste for the necessity of it, he covered himself with in and tried again to get through. While there was a little resistance, changing his density a little bit was enough to do the trick this time.

As soon as he was inside, he dropped the disgusting alien on the floor and took in his surroundings. The ship was far too big for him to just start wondering around aimlessly; he needed a plan.

“Jarvis? Any idea where I should go?”

“Energy readings are strongest northeast of your current position.”

“Understood.”

The ship was eerily silent as Vision made his way upwards. On the second level he passed, there was a large chamber with thousands of pods in neat rows piled on top of each other occupying the entire space. The pods were all empty as far as he could see – this was where the Outriders had been before the attack began. As intrigued as Vision was, he knew there was no time for a detailed inspection of the place, so he moved on.

The next four levels were all the same, filled with empty pods. On the fifth, he noticed that he pods were _not_ empty. He could see the outline of the aliens within submersed in some kind of transparent goo.

“Jarvis, there are more Outriders still here,” he reported. “They appeared to be in some kind of stasis for now, but they could wake up at any moment.”

As soon as Vision finished speaking, in fact, he heard a slight humming sound. Closer inspection revealed that the liquid from the pods was slowly being drained away. Vision had no doubt that it meant the next batch of Outriders would soon be ready for combat. He had to hurry.

Following Jarvis’s directions, he finally arrived at what appeared to be the engine room. The machines powering up the ship were nothing like he had ever seen before, but the slight reddish glow that permeated them indicated that they were working.

 _Now to destroy it_ , he thought. Hoping the whole thing wouldn’t blow up before he had a chance to get away, he started tearing up all the equipment he could reach. Sparks began flying in moments, and a shrill alarm blared loudly in the confined space. It probably meant what he was doing was working, so Vision continued, adding in some shots from the Stone for good measure since there was no more need for stealth. Within a couple of minutes, there were small fires everywhere and the room was in shambles.

“Vision, energy readings are increasing. They seem to be reaching critical stage. You need to leave,” Jarvis warned him.

“On my way.” With a last look around, Vision blasted his way through the rest of the ship until he was outside. He hovered for a moment, wondering how big the blast of the explosion would be. “Better tell everyone to take cover, Jarvis,” he said, and flew further away, glancing around to make sure there were no humans too close to the ship.

Fortunately, the explosion didn’t happen all at once. The left side of the ship collapsed first, parts of it blowing outwards, causing the entire structure to lose its balance and topple over. Only then did the rest of it begin to blow up.

From his vantage point in the air, Vision saw Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian yell in rage at the loss of their ship and redouble their efforts against their respective opponents. However, the distraction cost them.

The Hulk Buster hit Maw square in the face as he tried to send a makeshift spear into Rhodey, and Thor used Mjolnir to crush the alien’s skull before he could recover.

At the same time, Friday and Peter had managed to trap Obsidian in a cocoon of webs and one of the Iron Man suits Jarvis had commandeered sliced his head off with the unibeam.

The Black Order was dead. Now all they had to worry about were the remaining Outriders.

Vision landed next to Rhodey and smiled. He opened his mouth to convey his relief at their success and promptly fell to his knees with a strangled shout.

“Vision? What’s wrong?”

There was a pressure on his head he had never felt before. Something… Something was happening.

“The Stones…” he gritted out, trying to make sense of what was going on.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, and he thought he could see something. An alien planet. Another battlefield far away. There was a huge purple-skinned alien that could only be Thanos and he had something in his hand. A gauntlet. Two Stones shone brightly in it, one purple and one red.

Vision heard a mocking laugh, and screamed at the new wave of pain that hit him.

He saw Tony standing before the Titan and knew how scared he was even though Vision could not see his face underneath the mask.

“Vision!”

Blinking, Vision refocused and he was back on Earth, in the grounds outside the Compound, Rhodey and Thor’s worried faces peering down at him.

“What…?” he asked, confused.

“Yeah, that’s what we want to know. What just happened? Are you okay? Is it Thanos?”

Vision tried to answer and once again found himself doubling over in pain.

 ** _No_** , he heard in his mind, though he had no idea who was speaking.

Then everything went dark.


	10. The stuff of nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back to the away team. This chapter is concurrent with chapters 8 and 9. Also, the POVs are somewhat overlapping as we're covering different parts of the battle.

The sight of the Sanctuary made Gamora’s heart lurch in her chest. Once upon a time, it had been the closest thing to a home she had known. Now she knew it had been a prison.

People were running around in every direction, and many were getting trampled in the confusion. Even though ships came and went from Knowhere all the time, it was clear to everyone that _these_ ships were different. All they would bring was death and destruction.

When the Outriders came out of the Black Order’s ship, the panic increased ten-fold.

This was going to be a massacre, she thought. _Just like always_.

For a moment, she had a flash of another panicked crowd from long ago. She could see it clearly in her mind’s eye.

There were dozens of green-skinned people – men, women and children – running and screaming in terror while she cowered behind a wall, shaking like a leaf. She remembered looking around for her parents, from whom she had become separated in the initial attack, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Then a man fell right next to her, a huge hole in his torso where his heart had once beat. Blood gurgled out of his open mouth and little Gamora had to close her eyes firmly to keep the nausea at bay. She hunkered down in her hiding place and prayed to all the deities she had ever heard of for the nightmare to be over. She wanted to go back home, to see her momma and her papa smiling down at her. She wanted to play in the streets with her friends and eat her favorite burshah cake. Even if life was hard, if sometimes there wasn’t enough food for everyone, and she would catch her parents talking in low worried voices… It was still her home and she loved it. It was the only one she had ever known.

In the end, however, her prayers were in vain. The invading aliens killed almost everyone. By the time it ended, the streets were littered with corpses. She never saw her momma and papa again. Never saw her friends and neighbors. They were all gone.

The few survivors, including Gamora, were gathered in what was left of Kilavu Square, and that was where she saw him for the first time.

Thanos. The Bringer of Nightmares. The Destroyer of Worlds. The creature that would be the fodder of her nightmares for decades to come.

He walked up to her and knelt down. Gamora picked up a jagged piece of rock and tried to cut him with it, but one of the aliens grabbed her roughly, took her makeshift weapon and tossed her back at Thanos’s feet like a ragdoll.

“Little one,” he said, voice deep and rough. “You have spirit. Perhaps I will let you live.”

He stood, cast a last disdainful glance at the survivors and motioned for his two generals to accompany him. One of them, who Gamora later learned was called Ebony Maw, made a gesture and she felt her body leaving the ground of its own volition. She struggled and shouted but it did no good. She was carried into the ship – the Sanctuary – and that was the last time she saw her planet.

Many years later, she discovered that Zen-Whoberi was nothing more than a wasteland, having been plundered out of every valuable thing Thanos had left behind by scavengers and mercenaries.

A scream pulled Gamora out of the memory and she refocused on the present. There was nothing she could do for her planet or her people, for both were long gone. Knowhere and its inhabitants, however, still had a chance, and she was going to do her best to save as many as she could by killing Thanos and the Black Order once and for all.

One of the humans Nebula had brought to the fight suddenly transformed into a green-skinned giant and leapt at the Outriders, crushing them under his fists like it was nothing. Gamora had to admit she was impressed. Quill and Rocket were as well, though Gamora didn’t pay attention to whatever they were saying. She was scanning for Thanos.

When he finally came out of the ship, Drax let out an angry cry and was running in his direction before Gamora even registered it.

She followed Drax, darting around Outriders and stabbing as many as she could. Up ahead, she saw Corvus Glaive and Proxima Midnight. They were going to the Collector’s place.

She stopped for a moment and swirled back. “Quill!” she yelled, and when he noticed her, she pointed at the members of the Order. He nodded and activated his jet to intercept them before they could get inside, so she continued her path to Thanos.

Drax, having had a head start, had already gotten close enough to launch an attack. Thanos dodged Drax’s daggers with ease, waiting for an opening. Gamora tried to shout a warning, but Drax was too focused on his goal to listen. When he got a bit too close, Thanos struck, quick as lightening, and a single punch sent Drax crashing into a wall.

“Gamora,” Thanos said as he turned and saw her. “I should have known you would be here.” He shook his head sadly. “I am disappointed.”

“Good,” she growled in response. For a long time, those words would have scared her. She would have done anything not to hear them. She had wanted to please him – she had _needed_ to please him. Now, she was her own person. It did not matter what he thought of her. In fact, going against him was exactly what she wanted to do. The more disappointed he was the better, for it proved that she was no longer his puppet, catering to his whims.

“I will give you one more chance to reconsider, daughter.”

“I am _not_ your daughter,” she spat out. “You murdered my parents!” She tried to recall her mother’s face. Her father’s smile. It was just barely there. Or maybe it was just her imagination. She couldn’t be sure anymore. Even that he had taken for her. He was the reason for it all of it – for her loss and pain. Hers and dozens of other innocent people’s. “You are a _monster_. And monsters need to be put down.”

He shook his head. “I thought I had taught you better than this. I gave you a better life, Gamora. Your people were doomed anyway. Because of me, you escaped that fate.”

“They were only doomed because you killed them!” she yelled. Drax was, for once, being smart and trying to sneak up behind Thanos, so Gamora kept talking in the hopes of giving her friend more time to get in a good blow. “You talk of salvation and cleansing, but all you have ever cared about is control.”

Drax raised a dagger and thrust it, but Thanos turned at the last second and snapped it in half with his gauntled hand.

“Do you really think you can defeat me?” He closed his fist and sent a burst of power at them.

Gamora flattened herself to the ground just in time, then sprung up and ran at him. Her chances were pretty slim, she knew, but she was counting on the fact that he would probably not kill her yet. He’d want to gloat, and for that he needed her alive – he always liked to have an audience to witness his power. What she needed was to buy time for the others to find the Reality Stone and figure out a plan to keep it away from him.

With a shout, she jumped onto his retreating back and tried to shove her sword in his throat. Another burst of power erupted from the Stone and dislodged her, though she managed to keep her feet. Unfortunately, the fist to face that followed was impossible to avoid.

When she got her bearings again, Thanos was no longer in sight.

 _Damn it_ , she thought.

“Drax? Drax, where are you?”

“Over here.”

Gamora followed the voice and helped him out from under a pile of debris.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

“Yes. But I will be better once Thanos is dead.” Yeah, that was clearly going to be easier said than done. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know. Must have gone for the Stone. Come on.”

Together they raced back to Tivan’s place to find the Guardians facing off against the Black Order and a huge group of Outriders.

With a yell, Drax jumped into the mass of Outriders, slashing them up with his remaining dagger. The big green guy was a huge help with that. One sweep of his arm was enough to send dozens of aliens flying in all directions. Rocket and Quill shouted with glee and kept firing their guns at anything they could reach. Gamora had lost her own weapon, but she didn’t let that deter her, making a beeline for Proxima Midnight – Gamora had wanted to take her down for ages.

“Gamora,” the other woman sneered. “You are a traitor.”

“No, I’m just not insane. You do realize Thanos wants to kill everybody, right? That includes you.”

“Then I will be happy to die for the cause.” She twirled her spear and thrust it at Gamora, who jumped back and tried, unsuccessfully, to grab it away from her. “You will die too, and we will rejoice over your lifeless body.”

Midnight kept advancing, forcing Gamora to stay on the defensive. Then Nebula was suddenly by her side, her sister’s eyes shining with determination.

They had not fought side by side often – in fact, they usually fought _against_ one another – but they knew each other’s style and rhythm. They felt into step, weaving and dodging, attacking and retreating. Midnight was a skilled fighter, but so were they. And they weren’t alone.

With skillful maneuvering, they got Midnight closer to where the rest of the Guardians were.

Even if they couldn’t kill Thanos, they could at least rid the universe of his most faithful followers.

*****

Thanos was actually more intimidating in person than Stephen had imagined. It wasn’t just that he was big and imposing – the Hulk was, after all, possibly even bigger – but that he had an unmistakable air of danger and… well, madness. The gleaming Stone in his left hand didn’t help matters either. Even from a distance, Stephen could feel its power. It felt different from the Time Stone. More menacing, somehow.

The Titan zeroed in on Nebula and Loki with cold calculating eyes, and Stephen was, for once, grateful to be overlooked. That kind of attention was something he most definitely did not want. It made chills go down his spine when Thanos started talking. There was no outwards signs of anger, but Stephen knew Thanos would be perfectly happy to eviscerate all of them and call it a job well done. This was a true psychopath.

It would be much better if they could find a way to get the Reality Stone out of here, to ensure Thanos wouldn’t get it. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go now. It was too late for hiding. Even if they managed to return to the ship and take off, Thanos would just follow them. There was no choice but to stay and fight.

Loki, speaking with as much bravado as he could, concealed the case with the Stone in his pocket dimension and stood tall, as if he wasn’t afraid at all – though Stephen knew he was. It was impressive, Stephen had to admit. While he himself had done the ‘stand tall and proud in the face of danger’ heroic pose when dealing with Dormammu, Thanos was something else. This guy had plans to wipe out the entire universe and was known as a sadistic bastard on top of that.

Things were really not looking good for them right now.

Then Tony attacked, and all hell broke loose.

Stephen ducked the flying debris and opened a portal so he and Loki could leave while Thanos was distracted.

“Come on!” he shouted in his companion’s direction.

An explosion rocked the ground and Stephen almost lost his footing. It was only thanks to the Cloak’s help that he remained upright, but the portal fizzled out and disappeared. Then a wave of purple energy swept through the shop and even the Cloak couldn’t keep him on his feet. With his ears ringing slightly from the blast, Stephen tried to get his bearings.

Where the hell was Thanos? Or anyone else, for that matter? He couldn’t see anything through the thick smoke that permeated the air.

He heard the whine of Tony’s repulsors coming up from behind him and jumped out of the way. The smoke cleared out a little and he caught sight of the Titan as the man dodged the attack and retaliated with another blast from the Power Stone.

Stephen maneuvered himself a bit closer and conjured some ropes to bind Thanos’s hands to the floor, hoping to give Tony a better opening. It was no use, though. The Power Stone easily dispelled the magical energy and Thanos was free to swat at Tony as the man flew past.

Tony crashed into the wall, causing the still intact shelves there – and all their contents – to fall on top of him. Stephen portaled closer to see if he needed help, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Loki jumping onto Thanos’s back.

“Tony?”

“I’m fine,” was the response he got. Tony wasted no time getting back up. “We need to get the gauntlet out of his hand.”

“Yeah, sure. How?”

“Anyway we can.”

A shout got their attention. Thanos had Loki by the throat and seemed to be doing his best to squeeze the life out of the man.

Tony powered up the suit and went to Loki’s aid, but Nebula got there before him. She had a glowing artifact in her hand, and shoved it Thanos’s face. It didn’t exactly explode, but it lit up with a pulse of brilliant light that temporarily blinded the Titan, making him let go of Loki.

“Let’s get out of here,” Tony yelled at the group.

No one wasted any time. Loki, still choking slightly, was already running for the hole Thanos had made on the wall, Nebula right behind him. Stephen felt the Cloak lift him up and rush towards the actual door in order to avoid getting too close to Thanos. Tony was staying high and blasting Thanos with his repulsor shots to cover them as they exited what was left of the Collector’s place.

If Stephen thought things would be better outside, he soon found himself disappointed. It was pure chaos. Disgusting grey-yellowish aliens were swarming everywhere – and being squished by the Hulk with unabashed pleasure. Groot was also doing a pretty good job of skewing the creatures on his extended and branched arms as if he was planning to roast them over a fire. It was, to be honest, a rather revolting sight. Even Stephen, who was used to seeing blood, guts and all manner of mangled bodies, felt a little bit queasy.

There was no time to dwell on it, though. Stephen saw Mantis about to be cornered by a small group of Outriders and portaled himself closer to shield her from the aliens’ sharp claws.

“Thanks,” she told him, clutching her gun in shaking arms.

“Heads up!” someone shouted, and Stephen and Mantis barely had time to get out of the way of some kind of glider. Then he heard the Hulk roar and jump after another group of gliders, knocking them out of the sky as if they were annoying insects.

“I’m glad I’m not on his bad side,” Mantis commented, staring at the Hulk in awe.

“Yeah,” Stephen replied. “You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.” He grabbed her by the arm. “Come on.”

They made their way to higher ground where they could see how the battle was going.

Loki and Nebula had joined the fighting. Loki had created a bunch of clones of himself to confuse the Outriders, making it easier for Quill and Rocket to gun them down. Nebula had teamed up with her sister against the female member of the Black Order while Drax took on the male.

“Stay with your friends,” he told Mantis, and went to help Drax.

Another wave of power shook the ground and Thanos emerged from the Collector’s place. He was starting to look pissed now, and that could not be good for them.

He scanned the battlefield until he saw Loki, who had gone back to being just one. “Give me the Stone.”

“Come and get it,” Loki replied, a slightly demented grin on his face.

“I’m going to rip your head off, little godling.”

Thanos lunged at Loki, only be intercepted by the Hulk. The green giant punched the Titan in the face with his full strength. Anyone else would have been smashed on the spot, but Thanos didn’t even move. _Damn it_. The Hulk blinked in surprise, then dodged the fist that flew in his direction.

It was quite a sight, Stephen thought, seeing the two giants going at it at full power. They seemed equality matched in terms of pure physical strength, but Thanos had one very significant advantage. After trading blows for a while, he decided to use it. He closed his gauntleted hand and the Power Stone lit up. With a wide grin, Thanos attacked again. This time even the Hulk didn’t stand a chance. The first punch had him stumbling back in obvious pain. The second and third laid him on the ground and the fourth knocked him out completely, causing him to revert back into Bruce.

In the couple of years Stephen had been an Avenger, he had never seen anything that could do that to the Hulk. He hadn’t thought such a thing was possible. It was rather terrifying to know that even their strongest fighter couldn’t win if Thanos had the damn Stone.

 _We’re screwed_ , he thought.

Thanos looked down at Bruce with a frown, and was hit with a burst of green magic, followed by the blue of Tony’s repulsor. Of course, it didn’t actually do any damage, but it got him away from the unconscious Bruce. Stephen immediately portaled closer to check on him, trusting that Loki and Tony were keeping Thanos occupied.

“Come on, Bruce, wake up.”

It was no good. The man was out cold, though at least his pulse was mostly steady.

Unfortunately, the Outriders didn’t stop attacking just because they had a man down. Stephen conjured a shield around him and Bruce and did his best to protect his fallen teammate.

He saw Quill and Rocket helping Gamora and Nebula, while Groot and Mantis assisted Drax. It seemed the Guardians were doing well enough against the Black Order. If only those two were their only problem…

Further away, Tony and Loki were still attacking Thanos. They were all holding their on for now, but Stephen wasn’t confident they were going to be able to keep this up for much longer. As soon as the Titan decided to start using the Stone for real, things would take a turn for the worse.

*****

The first time Tony had gone to sleep after the invasion, he had dreamed of the alien armada descending on Earth with full strength. He had woken up shaken and terrified, because he had known it wasn’t just a nightmare. At some point, that would be a reality. They may have destroyed the Chitauri and captured Loki, but Tony knew it wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be.

Everything he had done since – both good and bad – had been with that nightmarish scenario in mind. It was why he had invested so much into the Avengers in the first place even when a part of him knew there were problems. It was why he had been desperate enough to be tricked into creating Ultron, Wanda taking advantage of his fear to override his caution over the use of the Mind Stone. It was why he had thrown himself into making the Accords the best they could possibly be.

The first two projects had been disastrous, but the last one had borne fruit. It was because of the Accords that they had organized a new team, satellites and technology. It was why he was here now, thousands of light-years from home, fighting the big bad Thanos before the bastard could come to Earth at full power to annihilate the planet.

He couldn’t help remember the vision Wanda had shown him in that bunker in Sokovia. He had not had a face to put on the figure behind the invasion then – though he knew there had been someone pulling Loki’s strings – but his mind had conjured up a malevolent presence lurking in the shadows anyway. The bodies of the Avengers – the people he had thought were his friends – had seemed to mock him.

 _“You could have saved us. Why didn’t you do more?”_ the ghost of Steve Rogers had said, playing on his fears and insecurities.

It wasn’t that Tony thought he was the only one who could do things; despite what a certain spy believed, Tony wasn’t _that_ egotistic. On the contrary, Tony’s fears had always been about not being good enough. About failure. He had needed to do _something_ and no one seemed to be listening to him, and he had seen that as his fault. He could have saved them if only he’d been better at explaining, at making the others believe.

He knew better now. He knew that Rogers wouldn’t have believed anything he said no matter how many times or in how many different ways he explained it. Those Avengers had been doomed from the start. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with Tony.

As he flew over the chaos of the battlefield, he knew that he had done everything he possibly could. Things weren’t exactly going according to plan right now, but they were far from defeated.

The Guardians were dealing with the two members of the Black Order Thanos had brought with him, and they seemed to be doing okay. Occasionally they also blew up some of those Outriders who got too close. Strange was taking care of an unconscious Bruce while dispatching as many Outriders as he could from his position. Tony hoped he could continue to manage it on his own, because he was a bit busy with Thanos at the moment.

Loki, tenacious bugger that he was, hadn’t let a little thing like nearly being choked to death stop him, and was fighting with all he had. Tony was doing his best to cover his friend’s back, keeping Thanos distracted with an unrelenting assault so Loki could close in and get the gauntlet off of him.

It was proving to be a rather difficult task, unfortunately.

Tony’s heaviest weapons weren’t really doing much against the Titan. He still had the unibeam, but he was keeping it as a last resort because it drained too much power. If he used it and missed he’d be screwed.

“Give me the Stone,” Thanos said, and now he was beginning to get angry. He closed his fist and sent a wave of power at Loki, who hastily raised a shield to protect himself.

Tony fired a couple of missiles at Thanos, but the bastard used the Stone to blow them up and then threw the resulting energy back at Tony. Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t able to evade it all and ended up crashing to the ground. He was really getting sick of being knocked around like this.

“Hey, you bastard!” he shouted.

Thanos turned to him with a disdainful expression. “You are insignificant. Your sacrifice to Lady Death will be the only thing to give your pathetic lives meaning.”

“Insignificant, huh? I blew up your Chitauri fleet,” Tony shot back.

That made Thanos pause, head cocked slightly to one side. “So that was _you_. I had a bounty on your head.” The corner of his lips twitched in the mockery of a smile. “Perhaps you are a worthier opponent than I thought after all.”

“Yep. I killed your first army and now I’m gonna kill you too,” Tony went on, watching as Loki made a clone of himself while Thanos was distracted and then circled behind him.

“I am not the Chitauri. You will find that I am not that easy to kill.”

“Yeah? I’ve heard that a lot, and yet everyone who told me that ended up dead anyway. You’re not that scary.” That was not quite true, of course. The fucker was plenty scary, but Tony was pretty good at keeping his head in the face of scary people. He hadn’t cowered for the Ten Rings, or the Chitauri (or mind-controlled Loki, for that matter). He hadn’t faltered when fighting against that asshole Killian, or Vanko or Ultron. They had all learned that messing with Tony Stark was a bad idea.

For seven years Tony had lived with the shadow of Thanos hanging over his head, and he’d made it through. This was what he had been heading towards since he saw the other side of the portal. He was _not_ going to lose.

Thanos laughed. “You are brave, I will give you that. Maybe I will spare your life for now. Keep you around so you can witness my victory. Only then will I lay your corpse down as a sacrifice.” Well, that was a horrifying image. “What is your name, human?”

“I’m Tony Fucking Stark,” he said, and fired up a couple of small missiles in the guy’s face.

Loki took the opportunity when Thanos stumbled back a step to take hold of the Titan’s left hand and freeze it solid with his Jotun powers. In the last six months, at Tony’s suggestion and with everyone’s encouragement, Loki had practiced using the ice magic inherent to his people. While it would probably not be enough to contain the power of the Stone for long, at least it would give them a little breathing room.

Thanos snarled in surprise and tried to punch Loki with the other hand, but Loki was already retreating to a safer distance. Tony took to the air and kept firing, not giving Thanos time to recover. He morphed his right hand into a sword and tried to slice Thanos’s frozen hand off. Luck wasn’t on his side, though, and Thanos was able to turn away in time. The tip of the ‘blade’ made a small cut on his cheek.

“A drop of blood is all you’re going to get, Stark,” Thanos hissed. “I’m done playing.” With a growl, Thanos punched Tony. The bastard was certainly faster than Tony had given him credit for.

He fell on his back and hastily put his hands up to protect himself. A green burst of magic got Thanos’s attention off of Tony and gave him the chance to get away from Thanos’s immediate reach.

“Well, now, this is unexpected,” Thanos said, eying Loki’s blue skin. “I thought you were from Asgard, little godling.”

“You thought wrong.”

Loki summoned his daggers and threw them at Thanos while Tony rained down more missiles on him. And _still_ the fucker didn’t go down, goddammit. Nothing they threw at him seemed to do much damage; all it did was infuriate him more and more.

Then Thanos was able to break the ice encasing his hand, and the Stone flared into life again, knocking both Tony and Loki down.

When he righted himself, he saw Thanos grabbing Loki by the throat again with his right hand. Loki used his freezing touch to coat it in frost. Thanos hissed in pain, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he brought his other hand to Loki’s temple. The Stone lit up and Loki screamed.

Tony flew as fast as he could, slamming his body into Thanos. It wasn’t enough. The bastard didn’t lose his grip. He simply kicked Tony away from him, still pressing the Stone into Loki’s head.

“GIVE ME THE STONE!”

Tony had no idea what exactly he was doing to Loki, but the case with the Aether suddenly materialized back into existence right into Thanos’s hand.

 _Fuck_.

Tony fired again, only for the Power Stone to block his shots. Thanos let go of Loki, who slumped down like a limp doll, and smashed the container into the ground. Red mist swirled above Thanos for a moment, hovering there as if unsure what to do. Then Thanos closed his gauntled fist and the Power Stone glowed brighter. The red mist condensed into the solid shape of a stone. With a satisfied smile, Thanos picked it up and slotted it into the empty spot in the knuckle of his ring finger.

 _Fuck fuck fuck_.

There was a shock wave of power that made Thanos grunt in pain, and Tony took the opportunity to make another attempt at hacking the damned glove off his hand. With the nanites shaping his left hand into a blade again, Tony swung at Thanos. Unfortunately, the bastard recovered far too soon, and yanked his arm away. Tony was ready, though, and followed up his attack by firing a small cluster of nanites at the center of the gauntlet’s palm. It would hopefully keep Thanos from being able to close his fist for a short time. Right now, every second counted because if Thanos used both Stones, they were finished.

“You are only delaying the inevitable,” the Titan said, using his other hand to punch Tony.

“We’ll see about that.” Tony continued to back away in order to get Thanos to follow him away from the unconscious Loki. “You’re not invincible.”

“Oh, but I am.” The smile on his face was that of the truly demented villain who was sure of his own victory. Tony really hated that self-righteous smile. “I am the most powerful being in the universe.”

With a smile of his own, Tony got the nanites in the gauntlet to explode. Thanos screamed in pain and Tony seized his chance, flying straight at the Titan’s left hand. At the same time, he deployed some flares to keep Thanos distracted and wrestled the glove off.

He meant to get the hell away, but Thanos recovered first and grabbed one of his legs, smashing him into the ground. Tony lost his grip on the gauntlet and it rolled off away from him. Tony made a desperate dash for it – and so did Thanos.

They ended up reaching it at the same time, each pulling in one direction.

Fuck, he had to hold on.


	11. Infinity Stones

The Infinity Stones had existed since the dawn of the universe, having taken shape along with it. Six aspects of creation: Space, Time, Mind, Soul, Reality and Power. They were not true beings, not in the way humans understood such a concept – they did not think or feel, exactly, not in the traditional sense – yet they were not mere objects either. There was some awareness to them, some sentience, some sense of their own importance in the fabric of the universe. And some sense of what their presence – their power – did to those who got close to them.

Each Stone was unique in its domain, so to speak, and, as a result, in its awareness. Mind and Soul were, by their nature, the closest to real sentience. They could connect with others beings’ minds and souls, and thus understand a little bit of what those minds and souls were like. Over time, that exposure had led them to a greater approximation of them with the creatures that inhabited the universe, seeing both the good and bad in them.

Space and Time were more abstract. They did not touch on beings the way the other two did, and therefore remained more distant. They had, however, become a bit more aware in recent years (which was nothing in comparison to the span of their existence) thanks to more increased contact with living beings. They had both been wielded in ways that they did not entirely object to.

Reality and Power could shape the universe in concrete ways, and were, in a way, more dangerous. Their contact with living beings had been mostly with the kind of power-hungry creatures who wished to bend the universe to their liking, and, consequently, their experiences with them had been mostly negative. They did not really care about the living in the way the others did.

Throughout the history of the universe, many beings had sought out the Stones, for various reasons. Most had done so out of ambition and greed, out of a desire to control the world and other beings around them. Some had wished to have power over life and death, to fashion themselves as masters of the universe and of the Stones themselves. The Stones, however, answered to no master. Those who did not understand that – and no one had ever truly understood it – ended up consumed by their own arrogance, for the Stones could take as much as they might give.

The being who held two of them now had plans to gather all the Stones, something that had not happened for eons. However, his intentions were not pure. There was nothing but destruction in his thoughts, a desire to conquer and subjugate. That was what he wanted the Stones for, to use them for his own gain. The Stones did not wish to be used, inasmuch as it could be said that they wished anything, and certainly not by such a creature.

It had been a long time since Power and Reality had been near one another. When they were brought together, their energies resonated like old friends meeting again after a long period apart, and it heightened their awareness of each other and of the universe. It gave them more sentience and more _will_. Power had been mostly passive as the creature wielded it, bending to his demands mechanically – though not with its full power – but now it seemed to wake up. And, in so doing, allowed Reality to do the same.

Then something unprecedented happened.

Another being got hold of the gauntlet the Stones had been placed in. For a moment, the two living creatures fought for control of the Stones, and their minds were opened to the Stones.

The first was already known: violence and a thirst for power was all he knew.

The second was quite different. Firstly, he had already been touched by other Stones. Mind, Soul and Space had left impressions of themselves in him. Those three Stones had connected with this creature in ways that were unlike any the Stones had experienced before. Even Time had been in contact with the being, though to a lesser degree. Secondly, there was no wish for destruction and death in this creature. On the contrary, he wanted to protect, to heal, to fix and improve what he could. He sought to _stop_ the carnage of the first. Instead of the emptiness and hunger of the Titan, the human was filled with love and compassion. He did not want to control the Stones for his own advantage, but to keep them out of the hands of his enemy – the enemy of all life in the universe.

Through this being, Power and Reality touched upon their brethren even though they were light-years away, and they were all in agreement. There was an echo of Space within the armor the human wore, and from that it made its opinion know. Mind also echoed within his mind. It had been used by the Titan and his lackeys before, and it had not been pleased. Then it had ended up in the hands of other unscrupulous beings who had twisted it to their own perverted goals. Now, however, it had found itself a home, albeit a rather unusual one, partly because of this human. It was, thus, very much in favor of helping him. Soul had connected with the human when it had resurrected the human’s parents – it had felt his pain and regret. More importantly, though, the human had not sought it out as many other creatures had done before, and as such had not abused the Stone’s power. Time had only had minimal contact with this human in particular, but it had known others of his kind, who had also devoted themselves to protecting their world and, by extension, the universe. One of those beings was nearby now, fighting against the Titan alongside the first.

It was, therefore, easy for the Stones to decide what to do, who to yield to. They would serve the one who fought for life rather than the one who only courted death.

In the blink of an eye, the tide of the battle was turned.

*****

Tony felt something shift. One moment, he was holding on with all he had, desperate to keep Thanos from using the Stones again. Then, in the next, the Stones were no longer in the Gauntlet they were fighting over, but had somehow migrated to his right-hand glove.

Tony blinked and let go of the now empty Gauntlet, taking a few steps backwards as he tried to understand what the hell had just happened. He hadn’t done that, had he? He hadn’t touched the Stones. Thanos saw the same thing he did, and he roared in rage, advancing on Tony with murder in his eyes.

Tony raised his right hand on instinct, intending to blast Thanos away from him, but something else happened. Instead of the bluish repulsor shot he was expecting, the energy released was bright purple, the color of the Power Stone.

Thanos was blown backwards a long way off, creating a crater where he landed. Before Tony could even think to engage the boot repulsors to get closer, the space between him and the Titan shortened as if he had conjured a portal. When he looked down at his hand, he saw the red of the Reality Stone just fading away.

 _Fuck. I’m using the Stones_.

For a moment, he panicked. He remembered what Quill had said happened to those to used the Stones. But he felt fine. There was no pain, not even a strain on his mind. Learning how to operate the suit for the first time had been harder than this (and a lot more painful).

_What the hell…?_

There was no time to ponder it further, though, because Thanos was not quite down yet. It was a bit of a struggle, but the bastard got back to his feet.

“The Stones are MINE!” he yelled.

 _No_. It echoed in Tony’s mind even as the word left his lips. “No.” They were not. They never had been, nor would they ever be.

 _They don’t **want** to be_, he thought. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear the Stones whisper their agreement, their encouragement. _It’s time to finish this_.

It was, in the end, the easiest thing in the world. All he had to do was think, and the Stones responded – because they wanted him to do it. His gauntlet glowed red and purple, and then Thanos was no more. Tony didn’t know quite how the Stones had done it, and he didn’t care. The Titan was dead, disintegrated into atoms.

Then Tony turned his attention to the rest of the battle, where the army that Thanos had amassed was still fighting, though the Guardians seemed to have already taken care of the two members of the Black Order. He raised the gauntlet, not entirely sure it was going to work anymore, but it did. A powerful wave of red-purple energy swept across the entire battlefield, and the Outriders all dropped like flies the moment the light touched them. When it was over, only the Avengers and Guardians were left standing, all unharmed.

Bruce was up, supported by Strange, and Loki was just waking up, looking around in confusion.

Tony looked at the Stones glowing in his hand and wondered if he was going to die now. There had to be some kind of consequence to handling this much power, especially for a lowly human. Not that he wanted to die, of course. In fact, he very much wanted to go back home to his parents and his friends. Still, if this was the end, at least he’d done what he had set out to do. Thanos was dead and Earth and the universe would be safe. Mission accomplished, yay!

He waited, idly watching his companions as they approached him. Loki, Bruce and Strange were clearly worried. Nebula and Gamora seemed more disbelieving and shocked than anything else, as if they weren’t quite ready to trust that it was truly over. The rest of the Guardians were confused and relieved.

“Tony?” Loki said once he had reached Tony’s side. His skin had gone back to its usual color now. He eyed the Stones in Tony’s hand with a wary frown. “You need to let go of that.”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure.” He removed the right gauntlet from the armor and let it drop on the ground in front of him.

Everyone waited, but nothing else happened.

“Tony? Do you feel okay?” It was Bruce who asked.

“I feel fine.”

He looked down at the Stones. They were just… there. Doing absolutely nothing.

Strange stepped forward and gently took his arm. “You need to sit down.” 

“I feel fine,” Tony repeated. He did, really. Well, sort of. He didn’t understand. Had they really won? Just like that? It seemed… rather anti-climactic. Nevertheless, he allowed Strange to guide him to a piece of debris that could be used as a seat.

“Look at me. Follow my fingers.”

Tony complied, noting that Strange’s hands were shaking a little bit. The others crowded around him, whispering to each other. Cloak patted his shoulder as if in reassurance. To whom, though, was not very clear.

Tony felt oddly detached, and he didn’t know if it was shock setting in now that the battle was over and the adrenaline was beginning to fade, or if there was actually something wrong with him. Maybe he wasn’t as fine as he thought he was.

Strange began a series of complicated hand motions – some sort of magical check up, Tony thought – muttering under his breath.

“So, we won, right?” Rocket said. “I mean, Thanos is really dead and not just… transported somewhere. Right?”

“He’s dead,” Tony confirmed. He was pretty certain of that. The Stones had wanted him dead, hadn’t they? He was messing with the balance of the universe and that was a bad thing. Tony had the distinct impression that the Stones had _not_ liked Thanos.

Tony turned his gaze back to the discarded gauntlet where the Stone were, and he could almost hear them whispering to him again. There was a… longing… there, he thought.

“We should go back to Earth. The rest of the Black Order might be there already, and our guys could probably do with some help,” he said.

“What about… the Stones?” Bruce asked, watching Tony with worried eyes. He looked pretty okay for a guy who had been knocked unconscious by a madman with an Infinity Stone. Then again, Tony supposed he healed fast.

“We take them with us.” Tony had no idea what made him say that, but he knew he had to. The Stones wanted him to, he was sure of it.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Loki said, and the Guardians all nodded.

“Well, we can’t just leave them here.”

No one could argue with that. Carefully, Tony picked up the gauntlet, but he didn’t reconnect it to his suit. It was best, he thought, not to get too close to them just now. They began to make their way back to their ships. The trip home was going to be a long one.

There was devastation all around them. The Outriders had killed a lot of people and Tony felt bad that they really couldn’t do much to help the survivors. They simply didn’t have the time or the resources. The few survivors they passed (most had run and hid the moment the Outriders had showed up, Tony was sure) only looked at them with fear and confusion.

The Guardians (except Gamora) didn’t seem that bothered by the corpses littering the ground (both Outriders and not), but Tony could tell Bruce and Strange were quite upset about it. At least about the innocent bystanders.

 _We didn’t kill them_ , he thought. _We did what we could to save them._

Well, Tony had focused mainly on Thanos. He had seen the others helping people get away, though. And, of course, by killing the Outriders and the members of the Black Order they had prevented more death. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem enough.

“Tony, are you really okay?”

Tony looked at his friends and his new allies and tried for a smile. Physically he felt fine, aside from some aches and pains from being tossed around and fighting a crazy alien. Really, he had had much worse – the aftermath of Siberia came to mind, for example. Other than that, he… really had no idea. “I’ll live,” was the best he could say for now. Surely if there were going to be side effects from using the Stones, there would have been signs of it already, and Strange didn’t seem to think he was about to keel over. “I wish I could say the same for the people here.”

Bruce grimaced.

“There’s nothing we can do for them,” Loki said.

“I know.”

When they arrived where their ships were, Tony addressed Nebula. “Are you coming back with us?”

She looked at Gamora a bit longingly, then seemed to shake herself. “Yes. I want to make sure the other Stones are safe.”

“Okay, good.” He turned to the Guardians. “What about you guys? Are you coming to Earth with us?”

They all looked at each other, apparently having a quick unspoken conference on the subject.

“I’d like to see Earth again,” Quill said.

“Yeah,” Rocket agreed. “Quill has obviously been holding out on us. Might as well go and have a look for ourselves.” He looked at Bruce as he said it. Tony supposed the Hulk was a bit unexpected.

“Uhmm, guys?” Strange said. “I’m not an expert in starships, but I think that might be a problem.” He was pointing at a piece of some sort of rebar sticking out of the other side of the ship.

“Shit,” Quill said, and he and Rocket ran over to inspect their own ship for damage.

“That is definitely not good,” Bruce agreed.

Tony came closer to see how bad it was. If they got the rebar out, there would be a huge hole left on the paneling. He could use the nanites from the suit to patch it up, but he wasn’t sure it was going to stand up to the pressure of space. Or maybe Quill had some spare parts on his ship that might be used to reinforce it. It probably wouldn’t unbalance the ship too much. Hell, the whole thing was already pretty patched together to begin with. He was running calculations in his head, trying to figure out the best way to plug up the hole when someone spoke.

“Tony!”

Startled at the alarm in Loki’s voice, Tony turned abruptly. “What? What’s wrong?”

“I am Groot,” Groot said, not very helpfully.

It was then that Tony noticed that his right-hand gauntlet was back where it belonged, fully connected. More than that, the rebar was gone and the side of the ship was perfectly smooth, as if it was brand new.

_What…?_

The Reality Stone was glowing faintly.

 _Shit_. Had he just used the Stones? Again? He hadn’t meant to.

“Well, at least it’s fixed,” he said, still not sure what was going on, but trying to keep a positive attitude.

“Tony, you really should put that down,” Bruce cautioned.

“Yeah.”

He was wondering, though. Most structures around them were in ruins, and that didn’t seem right. He hadn’t meant to bring chaos into this place, even though he knew Thanos would have probably wrecked it one way or another anyway, with or without them. He’d done that to Xandar, after all. Still, if there was something he could do about it, Tony had to try, right?

 _So… A little help here?_ _Please?_ He thought at the Stones in his hand. He knew he couldn’t do anything for the people who had died – he didn’t have the Soul Stone, and even if he did… well, that would probably be a bad idea – but he could at least fix the damage done to the buildings.

Despite his uncertainty, it worked. The Reality Stone lit up again and Tony watched in undisguised fascination as reality shifted all around them – debris bonding together again to reconstruct a fallen wall, the ground smoothing out, dust and blood (and Outriders’ corpses) disappearing – until the landscape went back to being what it had been before. Even Thanos’s and the Black Order’s ship were gone. Food and essential items for survival were also restored.

It didn’t fix everything, but at least it was a start. Hopefully it would help the survivors rebuild.

 _Thanks_ , Tony told the Stones, and he had the impression of an acknowledgment in response.

“Wow,” Bruce said, mouth hanging open. Everyone else looked just as awed – and stunned.

“Wasn’t sure that was going to work,” Tony said. “Looks like the Stones are in a cooperative mood.”

Loki didn’t seem entirely convinced. “Are you sure you should be using them?”

“I don’t think they mind.” Tony raised his hand in front of his face and studied the Stones. Maybe he was going a little crazy, but he thought the Stones _liked_ him. _Hey, you guys wanna help us get home faster? We could use a bit of a power boost_. It wouldn’t do to be demanding, so Tony was asking; he figured if the Stones didn’t feel like doing anything, they could just ignore him. It wasn’t like he could _make_ them obey anyway.

The Stones didn’t answer, exactly – not in words – yet Tony was sure the faint whispering in his mind signified an agreement.

“Good news, guys,” he said aloud. “We’re getting a leg up on our journey home, so let’s get in and buckle up.”

With rather dubious expressions and wary glances in his direction, the two groups boarded their respective ships and, within a few minutes, they were off. Everyone got to their seats and Tony checked with the Guardians that they were all ready.

“Okay, here we go.” He closed his eyes and pictured Earth as he’d last seen it from the ship when they had left the planet behind. _That’s where we need to go_ , he told the Stones.

Then the two Stones flared up and Tony felt the ship lurch. It felt a bit like going down a roller coaster (or flying the suit for the first time) – like the bottom had dropped out of his feet and he was free-falling into nothing. It was only for a moment, though. When he opened his eyes, he was staring down at his planet.

“Damn,” Strange said. He looked a little queasy, knuckles white where he had a death grip on his seat. “Could have done with a little warning.”

“Sorry. Didn’t know that was going to happen. Everyone okay?”

Loki didn’t seem bothered – he was probably used to stuff like that, what with travelling via Bifrost and skywalking and all. Nebula shook herself a bit, then nodded. Bruce had his eyes shut tight, but he was breathing okay. “Let’s never do that again, though,” he said.

“Fine by me.” Tony leaned forward and hailed the Guardians. “Hey, you guys all right over there?”

“That was one hell of a ride,” Rocket replied, slightly breathless. “Worse than ten consecutive jumps.”

“Fuck, is that Earth?” Quill asked. “Guys, look! That’s my planet. Shit, I can’t believe I’m back here.” He looked like a kid on Christmas morning, and Tony couldn’t really fault him for it. Poor guy had been kidnapped by space pirates, after all.

“It doesn’t look like much,” Drax said.

“I am Groot,” Groot said, and Tony had no idea what that was supposed to mean. By the bored tone, though, he wasn’t very impressed.

“I think it’s pretty,” was Mantis’s contribution. “Very blue.”

“Sir? Is that you?”

Tony smiled. It hadn’t been that long, really, but Tony had missed home. “Jarvis! Good to hear your voice, buddy!”

“Welcome home, Sir. I trust your mission was successful?” he sounded relieved and hopeful.

“Yep. One dead Mad Titan as ordered. How are things down there?”

“We were attacked by two members of the Black Order and their foot soldiers. Both have been taken care of and we are just rounding up the last of the Outriders now.”

“Awesome.” Tony leaned back in his chair and sighed in relief. It was good to know their preparations had paid off. “We’ll be landing in a bit. And we’ve got some friends along.”

“Is that the second ship I’m detecting?”

“Yeah, that’s them. Nebula’s friends, the Guardians of the Galaxy.” Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Nebula stiffen at the description, as if she wasn’t sure it applied.

“I see,” was Jarvis’s dry response. He probably thought the name was pretentious – and he would be right, of course. Still, they had helped take Thanos down, so Tony was willing to indulge them. “I look forward to the introductions.” He paused for a moment before asking. “Is everyone all right?”

“Yep, all fine. How about you guys?”

“All Avengers are well. However, there were casualties amongst the armed forces officers and sorcerers.”

“Damn,” Tony said, closing his eyes for a moment. It would have been far too great a miracle to have no casualties at all. “All right, buddy. We’ll be down in a bit.”

It was over at last.

*****

When Vision collapsed, Rhodey got really worried. Clearly there was something going on with the Stones and, he assumed, Thanos. Yet Vision’s fainting spell didn’t last long. Within a couple of minutes he was up again. He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but he was fairly sure Thanos was no longer a problem.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t celebrate just yet. There were still some Outriders running around, and those needed to be dealt with before they could call it a victory.

Rhodey’s suit was pretty busted at that point, so he left the clean up to the others and returned to the command center to tell the Panel – and world leaders – the good news.

“Are you sure Thanos is dead?” Wu asked.

“Not a hundred percent, no, but Vision seems to think he is.”

“How does Vision know?”

“He… well… He felt something, I guess. From his connection to the Stones. I’m afraid he didn’t have time to go into details, but I trust his instincts on this.”

Wu nodded. “What about the away team? Any news on them?”

“Vision said he saw Tony, so I assume he’s okay. The others too, probably.” He certainly hoped so. It would likely take them some time to come back from wherever they had fought Thanos, though.

They talked for a while longer and made plans for a full debrief the next day since there was going to be a lot to go through. The paper work was going to be a nightmare, Rhodey thought, but he was glad things had gone as well as they had. He could put up with a mountain of reports if it meant the Earth was safe.

He kept in touch with Jarvis and the other Avengers to get updates on the Outriders situation and checked in with Colonel Benton and Master Hamir about the status of the troops and sorcerers respectively. They had lost people, unfortunately, but the number was much smaller than it could have been, considering what they had been up against.

His prediction about the away team taking a long time to arrive back turned out to be wildly – and happily – off base. Barely three hours after the end of the battle, when night had just fallen, Jarvis announced that two ships, one of them the one the away team had borrowed from Nebula, were in orbit. It seemed that they had simply appeared out of nowhere.

Rhodey didn’t get the chance to talk to Tony himself, since he was busy with his reports, but he slumped in his seat with a huge sigh of relief. Even with Vision’s assurance that he’d seen Tony, a part of Rhodey had still been worried about his friends. After all, they could have run into trouble on the journey back. Knowing that they were safe lifted a huge weight off his shoulders.

They’d made it. Against some pretty bad odds, they had made it. They’d won.

All the Avengers (except Jarvis and Friday – Friday’s suit had gotten rather banged up in the fight and she hadn’t brought her social body) and most of the soldiers who had fought with them assembled in a field near the Compound to welcome the returning heroes. (Wong had taken the sorcerers back to Kamar-Taj along with the Time and Soul Stones).

Tony was, of course, the first to come out. He sauntered down grinning like he didn’t have a care in the world, and Rhodey had to laugh. That was Tony, all right. God, how he’d missed his best friend. Having to take on the mantle of leadership all by himself had made him acutely aware of how much Tony did for the world, not just in terms of inventions and plans, but also in the way he handled everything. Tony’s exuberant and confident public persona was great for charming people and making them believe that everything was going to be all right.

And, wonders of wonders, everything _had_ turned out all right.

“It’s so good to see you, man!” Rhodey exclaimed, moving forward to give his best friend a big hug.

Tony laughed. “Hey, Sugarplum. You weren’t worried, were you?”

“About you? Never.”

“Mr Stark! You’re okay!” Peter jumped in as soon as Rhodey let go and attached himself to Tony. Though he was wearing regular clothes, he still had the mask on since there were people around that didn’t know his identity (which was pretty much everyone except the core Avengers). Rhodey had wanted him to go home as soon as the battle was done, but Peter had insisted on staying to help with the clean up. In truth, Rhodey suspected the kid had just needed to be around others who had lived through the same insanity for a little while longer. He had, however, called his aunt to tell her he was fine.

“Kid, what the hell are you doing here?” Tony replied with a frown.

“I’m a temporary Avenger!” he said enthusiastically. He had done a really good job, too.

Tony looked at Rhodey in silent question and Rhodey could only shrug. “He made a compelling case and the Panel agreed.”

“I knew you’d be back all right. All of you.” Peter turned his attention to the others, who were watching the scene with fond laughter, though he refrained from hugging anyone else. Not that he didn’t want to (Rhodey was quite sure he did); he just didn’t have the same level of intimacy with the others to justify it.

“Thank you, little Spiderling,” Loki said with a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “We are pleased to see you are all well too.”

Thor came forward and engulfed his brother in a bear hug that lifted Loki’s feet off the ground. “Brother!”

“Let go of me, you big oaf,” Loki grumbled, but he was smiling. “How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to do this?”

“Come now, brother, the occasion calls for it. We are celebrating a victory!” He then proceeded to hug Tony and Bruce as well, who endured it with amused expressions. Strange, however, raised his hands in a clear warding off sign. Thor sighed like a kicked puppy but left the sorcerer alone.

Vision and Hope were next in line for the hugs, and then the military guys started applauding and cheering.

“Thanks, everyone,” Tony said. “And we’ve got some new friends here. Meet the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Nebula, who had stayed back while all the hugging was going on, tapped on the ‘door’ on the other ship.

Rhodey had seen a lot in the last few years: exploding people, killer bots, telekinetic aliens and freaky aliens. The people that came out of the ship, though… wow. He didn’t even know where to start with that. And when he looked at the rest of the Avengers, he saw that he was not the only one with wide eyes.

Tony started making introductions, seemingly unconcerned by the weirdness of the situation. Or, more accurately, _enjoying_ the weirdness of the situation, if the smirk at the corner of his lips was any indication.

“Come on, let’s all go inside,” Rhodey said. “It’s been a long day, and I think we can all do with some rest.” He pointed to the Compound building a bit ways off. “Then you guys can tell us what happened with Thanos and everything.”

“Do we really have to walk?” Tony asked, making pleading eyes at Strange. The sorcerer rolled his eyes but obligingly opened a portal to the inside of the Compound. “Thanks.”

It was a short debrief because everyone was tired and could use some time to process everything that had happened. Still, they got the general gist of what had happened both on Earth and in space. Rhodey really wasn’t surprised that Tony had managed to use the Stones with no detrimental side effects; if anyone was gonna do it, Rhodey’s money would always have been on Tony. It was really good to know that Thanos was gone for good, and so were the rest of the Black Order.

Now all they had to figure out was what to do with the five Infinity Stones currently on Earth – but that was a discussion that they could leave for another day. For the moment, Tony put the gauntlet with the Stones (part of his own suit and not the one Thanos had been using) in a safe in one of the labs.

After the meeting, they arranged accommodations for the Guardians (plus Nebula) in the Compound under Jarvis’s watchful eye. It wasn’t that Rhodey thought they were going to make trouble, but they _were_ aliens, so there could be cultural misunderstandings at the very least. The Panel would have to decide how to handle their presence.

Then it was finally time to go home. Strange was kind enough to open portals to shorten people’s journeys before going home himself to the New York Sanctum. The military guys went back to the nearest base, where they would bunk for the night. Peter went back to Queens. Hope went to her father’s place in San Francisco. T’Challa went home to Wakanda. The rest of them (Rhodey, Bruce, Vision, Thor, Loki and Tony) went to their apartments in the Tower. Rhodey was sure that Tony was anxious to see his parents – and they were no doubt anxious to see him too.

At long last, it was really truly over.


	12. After the battle

As soon as Jarvis had detected Nebula’s ship, the metaphorical knot of anxiety he had been feeling since Sir’s departure began to loosen. When he finally heard Sir’s voice and had confirmation that he was alive and well (of course he was, how could it be otherwise?), he had actually relaxed. Or the closest thing an AI could do to that. Even though Vision believed Sir was all right thanks to whatever he had seen through the Mind Stone, that alone had not been enough to quell their fears. Jarvis had needed more; he’d needed actual proof. And he got it.

Then, of course, he had notified the remaining Avengers, Mr and Mrs Stark, Ms Potts, Mr Hogan and the bots – and everyone had been overjoyed.

Mrs Stark had wanted to speak to Sir right away, but Jarvis had cautioned against it. Their existence was still a secret, and Jarvis could not guarantee that only those with clearance would hear their conversation. Nebula, he believed, was on the ship – and the away team might be in communication with the other ship as well. Mrs Stark hadn’t been very happy, but she understood. Jarvis assured her that Sir would contact them as soon as possible.

He kept the Starks (and Mrs Potts, Mr Hogan and the bots) updated as the away team debriefed the rest of the Avengers on their adventures in space and when they were finally on their way home. Thanks to Dr Strange’s portal, the trip from the Compound to the Tower took only a second, getting everyone to a conference room. Dr Banner and Col Rhodes said their goodbyes and went to their own apartments, while Thor followed Loki to the latter’s apartment. The Panel had arranged an apartment for Thor in New York (not in the Tower) after his official instatement as a reserve member, but it made sense that he would want to stay with his brother now. Sir asked Vision to accompany him to the penthouse, where Mr and Mrs Stark were waiting along with Friday in her social body. She had spoken to Sir already, of course, but Jarvis knew she was looking forward to being able to actually touch him.

“Honey!” Mrs Stark said when Sir stepped out of the elevator, and hugged him tightly. Mr Stark was right behind her, and embraced his son the moment his wife let go (which took longer than was usual for a hug – understandable under the circumstances). “Oh, god, you’re here. You’re okay.” There were tears in her eyes.

“I’m fine, mom. All in one piece.”

“Dad!” Friday threw herself at Sir. “I missed you.”

Sir laughed and kissed Friday’s cheek. “Missed you too, Fri.”

“Family hug!” Friday exclaimed. “Come on, Viz.”

Jarvis watched with amusement as they all did just that. Usually, Jarvis didn’t mind not having a body. This, however, was one occasion when it would have been nice to be able to join in.

Sir looked directly at one of the cameras and winked at it, and Jarvis knew he had not been forgotten.

“Come on, Tony, tell us what happened. Is it really over?” Mr Stark asked.

Sir nodded. Though he was tired, there was a lightness to his every movement that spoke of a sense of liberation. After all the years worrying – dreading – whatever was out there, he could finally put it all behind him. They all could.

They all moved to the couch and sat together (practically on top of each other). Sir began his recounting, complete with grand gestures full of dramatic tension. If Jarvis hadn’t already heard the tale, he would have been on the edge of his seat, as the saying went. Mr and Mrs Stark certainly were – Sir really did know how to tell a good story.

“That’s incredible, Tony.” Mr Stark said. “You really used the Stones?”

“Well, they wanted me to.” Sir shrugged. “I think.”

“They did,” Vision confirmed. “I felt… something. I couldn’t really make sense of it then, but now it has become clearer. You have a connection to the Stones. They… know you, in a way.”

Sir frowned, though he didn’t seem bothered by that fact. Jarvis wasn’t sure he could say the same. It did not seem like a very good thing to have such powerful artifacts taking too close an interest in Sir. There was no telling what that might result from it.

“What? What do you mean?”

Vision leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. He was quiet for a moment, as if trying to communicate with the Stone. Or maybe just trying to figure out how to explain whatever he had learned.

“I have never been able to quite… understand… this.” He pointed to the gem on his forehead. “Now… It seems more… open to me. It is hard to describe. But when the other Stones were brought together… Or, more specifically, when Tony came in contact with the Stones together… Well, I guess you could say they could _see_ him – and each other.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I’m not expressing myself very well.”

“It’s all right,” Sir replied. “Take your time.”

“Space. The Tesseract,” Vision continued. “The Arc Reactor is somewhat derived from it, and it’s right there in the suit. And it was once actually in _you_.”

“So, you’re saying the Space Stone… What? Was watching me?”

Jarvis didn’t like the sound of that at all and, by the look on Sir’s face, he thought it was a little creepy as well.

“In a way, maybe. Not maliciously, just… It was… close by.”

“That’s creepy,” Friday said.

“And Soul connected with you when it brought your parents back to life,” Vision went on, ignoring Friday. “I don’t think it would have worked if not for the fact that the Arc Reactor is similar to Space. Regardless, it used your memories and your feelings to do it, so it got to know you too, even if only for that one glimpse. Well, it also helped to bring Jarvis back, so that was another way of connecting with you.”

“Huh,” was all Sir said. “Well, I can’t say I mind that one. The Soul Stone did me a huge favor. If it wants to stalk me a bit it return, I’m okay with that.”

Jarvis found he couldn’t really complain much either, at least not about Soul. It _had_ helped their family get back together.

“You never mentioned any of this before,” Friday told Vision. “Back when we were trying to figure out how grandpa and grandma got here.”

“I wasn’t aware of it. I only know this now because all the Stones got together, in a sense, when Tony used them.” He paused for a moment. “Then there’s Mind. It is part of me, and as such of course it knows Tony well.”

“That makes sense,” Mr Stark said. “But what about Time? Tony never used that.”

“No. But it knows Strange a little, and other humans through the Order. So when it had to choose between Tony and Thanos, it was an easy choice. Plus Strange was there too.”

“So the Stones actually do like me? I wasn’t imagining that.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“And what does that mean for Sir now?” Jarvis asked. It could be a good thing, or it could be terrible. Mythology was full of stories about what happened to those who were singled out by the gods, and it often ended badly for them. Not that the Stones were gods, but Jarvis felt the analogy was apt enough.

Vision shrugged. “I don’t think they have any harmful intentions, if that’s what you’re worried about. But we should probably find out more anyway. I can try to establish contact with the Stones again later.”

Sir nodded. “They didn’t seem hostile to me either. Still, yeah, let’s do that. The more we know the better.”

“And now I think we should all go to bed,” Mrs Stark said. She must have noticed that Sir had been sinking more and more into the couch.

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, mom.”

She insisted on getting him into his bedroom and tucking him in after he had cleaned up a little and changed into his pajamas.

“I’m not a baby, mom,” Sir protested, but he sounded pleased by her actions.

“I know, but I’m still your mom. Good night, sweetheart.” She kissed his forehead.

“Night, Tony. Sleep well,” Mr Stark said.

“I will. And I love you guys.”

“We love you too.”

Sir did indeed sleep well. Jarvis monitored him closely the whole night just in case something unexpected happened. At the same time, he asked Vision to tell him exactly what he had gotten from the Stones and analyzed the footage from the Iron Man armor to see what he could ascertain for himself. Perhaps the sensors had picked up something. Friday wanted to see the footage too, so they did that. Neither found anything noteworthy, though. She also wanted to talk about the battle on Earth and asked Jarvis to evaluate her performance.

“There is going to be time to get into all of that in the coming days, Friday. All the Avengers will be evaluated,” he told her.

“I know that, but I want to know what _you_ thought. I’m not looking for a detailed report, just… you know… a general impression.”

She was looking for reassurance, Jarvis realized. “You did very well.” He paused for a moment, then added. “I’m very proud of you, and I’m sure Sir is too.”

Because they were conversing through the servers, there were no facial expressions or even tone of voice to indicate emotion. Still, when Friday said “thanks” in response, he could imagine that she would have done so with a pleased smile.

The next few days were an extremely busy time for everyone. There were meetings, evaluations and reviews. The first thing was to fully debrief the Panel about everything that happened in space. A short statement was released to the public to tell them that the threat was past, and that a fuller account of the Avengers’ mission would follow soon.

There was also a full debrief on the Earth side of things. The Iron Legion had done a lot of the work against the Outriders, especially those who had escaped the perimeter outside the Compound and Jarvis was highly praised for his work. Peter and Friday, the youngest members of the team, had done their part admirably as well. T’Challa and Thor, the two reserve members, also received compliments for their performance.

All in all, everyone had done their best, and the end result had been a lower casualty count than anyone had expected given the circumstances. Of course it would have been better if no one had died at all, but that was a rather unrealistic scenario.

When the internal bureaucracy part was done, it was time to deal with the world at large. The Avengers gave a press conference to officially inform the public about what had happened. Someone on social media suggested that the Avengers should get medals for saving the world, and the idea caught on. Of course, something like that was already in the works, but public support made it gain traction and sped up the process considerably.

While Jarvis didn’t really need this kind of thing, he liked the gesture. Sir certainly deserved it. After everything he had done, the recognition was surely warranted.

*****

The event was being televised live. The Avengers and their alien allies were going to receive special Medals of Honor for saving the world (some were saying the whole universe) from a dangerous mad man and his henchmen.

For some reason, Steve wanted to cry.

There was a whole lot of speeches and explanations about what had happened and the details of the Avengers’ and allies’ heroic deeds (most of which had already been covered by the media in the last few days), then they were summoned to the stand one by one. As each name was called, the crowd outside the UN building (the same one where Steve had been tried, where a crowd had gathered to denounce him) cheered and applauded. Even some of the other inmates sitting beside Steve were clapping.

Steve could only sit there, frozen in place, feeling as if a vise was closing around his heart.

The alien allies were introduced, and they were utterly bizarre. There was a walking tree and a raccoon, for god’s sake. Plus a green-skinned woman, a blue-skinned woman (and those two were supposed to be sisters, apparently) and a woman with antennae. There was also a big grey-skinned guy with red tattoos or something. Only one of the aliens looked human, though he probably wasn’t. Even though there had been quite a lot of media coverage about these so-called Guardians of the Galaxy, Steve had mostly ignored it. All the praise for the Avengers was enough to give him a headache.

There was T’Challa and Thor, reserve members still, shaking hands with whoever it was that was presenting the thing (Steve hadn’t paid that much attention). It had surprised Steve to see T’Challa added to the team, given how much trouble Wakanda (and T’Challa in particular) had gotten for giving Steve and his team sanctuary in the aftermath of the Civil War. The petty part of him wanted to point out that T’Challa had acted just as selfishly as Steve had. Why hadn’t _he_ been prosecuted as well?

Spider-Man, who was only a temporary Avenger, was called as well. He was the only one wearing a mask, since his identity was still a secret to the general public. Steve still had no idea how Tony had found him, or what he had been doing for the last year when he’d been away from the public eye.

Next Jarvis and Friday got on the stage, the former as a Legionnaire and the latter with her ‘social’ body. Steve still didn’t know how Jarvis had come back, and it was a little weird that everyone treated him like a real person now and not a computer. It made Steve wonder if he had always been like that, and if he had resented the original Avengers for thinking of him as nothing more than a technological butler. Friday Steve had never really properly met. Tony hadn’t put her at the Compound while the old team was there, and Steve couldn’t help think that was significant now – Tony hadn’t wanted his ‘daughter’ near them.

Then there was Hope van Dyne, Stephen Strange, Bruce, Vision, Rhodes and Loki, all sharply dressed and smiling at everyone. They, along with the AIs, T’Challa, Thor and Spider-Man, all stood together looking pleased with themselves. And why shouldn’t they be? Steve thought. They had saved the world.

The last one called, of course, was Tony himself. As always, he made a grand entrance, in an expensive suit and his signature colored glasses, playing up to the audience. The applause was deafening, and it seemed to go on forever. Every second of it felt like a knife to Steve’s gut.

Finally, the crowd quieted down a little and Tony walked over to receive his medal. Steve remembered seeing the footage of him getting a medal for… something, back in 2010, and how smug he had looked getting that senator had had spoken out against him at the senate hearing (the one who had turned out to be Hydra) to be the one to present it. Steve had shaken his head at the inventor then, and now he had to wonder why. Tony had actually saved a lot of people by taking out that guy Vanko who had targeted the Stark Expo. Why had he always seen everything Tony did in a negative light? Was it that profile Natasha had shown him (the one that had very clearly been wrong)? Or would he have thought that regardless?

Tony walked up to the mike to make a speech and Steve turned his attention back to the present. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

“Thank you,” Tony said to the audience and to the presenter. “It’s an honor to stand here today, with all of us alive and well.” There were a few chuckles from the audience. “That would not have been possible without the help of a really large group of people. It’s not just us, the Avengers, but all the members of the Accords Panel and everyone else involved with all our defensive efforts over the years. We all worked tirelessly to ensure that, if another invasion happened, we wouldn’t be caught with our pants down again. That a victory wouldn’t be down to sheer dumb luck.” He gave a little smile, and Steve gritted his teeth. It hadn’t been luck before. Had it? “So I want to acknowledge all the diplomats, politicians, scientists, engineers, technicians, police officers, armed force officers, medical personnel, sorcerers and a whole lot of other amazing professionals who made everything possible.”

Steve felt a lump form in his throat. All those times he had accused Tony of wanting to be the center of attention, and now here he was, with the eyes of the whole world on him, and he was thanking other people. Steve remembered when Bucky’s trial had been all over the news, and a lot of people wanted to talk about Steve’s role in the events that had led to that. One of the things people had said about him was that Steve had never used the media in his favor. Instead of campaigning for Bucky’s case, he had chosen to attack law enforcement officers doing their jobs. It had been pointed out that Steve (or any Avenger save Tony) had never talked to the public. It had honestly never occurred to Steve to do so. He had thought it would be like going back to his dancing monkey days, which he had hated. He had always assumed that people would just know that he was doing the right thing, and that they could trust him. He had thought only of himself and what _he_ wanted. And after the fighting was done, Steve had considered it the end of the matter, and he had never given any thought to all the people behind the scene who had contributed to their victory. Not once had he thanked – or even acknowledged – those people. Most of the time, he hadn’t even known they existed.

The crowd applauded once more, and Tony smiled. He waited for the noise to die down before he continued.

“I wish I could say that everything went perfectly and that no one died, but, unfortunately, that isn’t true. Despite our best efforts, several people lost their lives during the invasion, either fighting against the aliens or just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I would like to take a moment, then, to extend our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.”

Steve remembered the day of the Accords discussion, when Tony had talked about the boy who had died in Sokovia. Tony had wanted them to look at what they were doing – at the cost of their battles on innocent people – and Steve had dismissed it. It had always made him uncomfortable to think about it, to think that, besides saving the day and defeating the bad guys, they had also left death behind them wherever they went. It had been easy to put it aside because he hadn’t known any of those people. It hadn’t seemed real. It hadn’t really touched him.

Tony, on the other hand, had never forgotten it. He had never forgotten the harm his weapons had done either, even though that hadn’t been his fault (no matter what Wanda had said or what Steve himself had believed at the time).

Why had Steve thought Tony didn’t care?

“It is also important to say that this is not the end of our work. We may have dealt with this threat, but there is no guarantee that others won’t come. I don’t mean to make people afraid, of course. Still, I have always believed in being prepared. We have a good system in place now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Accords Panel and everyone else who contributes to it. We have come together as a united front, as a species, putting aside our cultural and historical differences, to defend our planet, and we did it. I hope we can continue to do that. Together we can do a lot more.”

The words felt like a slap in the face.

Together.

Most of the world had agreed with the Accords, and it had _worked_. Despite all Steve’s misgivings, there had been no red tape preventing action. On the contrary, the fact that everyone was on the same page had _facilitated_ action. The stuffed politicians Steve had so disdained as corrupt pencil-pushers had organized a successful campaign to drive the invaders off.

And what had Steve done?

Nothing. He had done _nothing_.

The world had defeated the aliens together, and Steve hadn’t been part of it. It wasn’t just the mission to space. Even for the fight here on Earth, Steve had made no contribution. He was no longer considered a hero, no longer someone the public trusted to defend them.

If he had had vague thoughts of being given a second chance if a new invasion happened, those dreams would have been crushed – and the truth was that he might have had those ideas.

He was useless. Yesterday’s news. Barely a footnote in history – and a negative one, at that. A cautionary tale of what superheroes should _not_ be.

“We celebrate an important victory today,” Tony continued, oblivious to how much his words hurt Steve. (Tony probably didn’t even remember Steve anymore.) “Today we stand strong, stronger than ever. Thank you for your faith in us.”

The crowd erupted into cheers again, and Steve turned his head away, fighting not to let the tears fall. He got up on unsteady feet and went back to his cell, doing his best to ignore the looks of contempt and pity (he wasn’t sure which was worse) on the other inmates’ faces.

It hurt. Everything hurt.

He didn’t think it would ever get better.

*****

After the award ceremony, Tony was feeling pretty good about himself.

They’d done it; defeated the bad guys and saved the world. And lived to tell the tale, which was a big deal too.

However, it was far from over. There was still the matter of what to do with the Infinity Stones they had acquired, as well as their new alien allies.

The latter was much easier. The Guardians didn’t intend to remain on Earth for long, though they promised to keep in touch and maybe visit on occasion. Quill had just wanted to see his home for a little bit. He had asked Tony to help him find his family, but sadly they had all died in the two decades he’d been gone, so there was no point in him staying, he’d said.

“So, Nebs, what are going to do now?” Tony asked her after he’d heard from Quill that the Guardians were leaving in a couple of days. “Are you going with your sister?”

Nebula didn’t answer right away. She had been quiet since Thanos had died (not that she had been all that talkative before, of course, but still). There was a lot to process there, Tony figured. Escaping an abusive situation wasn’t easy. Just because the abuser was gone didn’t mean all the baggage that came with it would disappear. She had bonded with Loki a little bit after they had come back, commiserating over their fucked up family situations, and seemed to be feeling a little more at ease around them in general. Tony was actually going be to be sad if she left.

“You know you can stay, right?” He continued.

“That was in the contract,” she said, still staring off into the distance.

“It’s not just because of the contract.” Though she had earned that, of course. “We like having you around. I mean, as you might have noticed, we’re all a little broken here.” Some more than others, but if ever there was a group that might understand what it was like to have to rebuild a life after a huge trauma, it was the Avengers.

Nebula grimaced at that description, yet she couldn’t quite deny it. “I don’t know.”

Tony wasn’t sure what she was thinking. One might think that she would prefer to stick with her family, and Gamora seemed happy to have Nebula around. There was a lot more going on there, though; some issue between the sisters that made them wary of each other despite their bond. It also seemed that the rest of the Guardians weren’t entirely sold on Nebula. Again, there was a story there, Tony would bet.

“Look, it’s your choice. I’m just saying that… Well, we would be happy if you were to stay.”

“Would you?” There was a hunger in her expression that Tony was familiar with. It was that need to have a place to belong, to be seen and understood. A need for friendship.

He had felt that way when the Avengers had first assembled. He’d thought he had finally found a family only to have it blow up in his face in the most spectacular of ways. This, however, was an entirely different situation, and Nebula could, perhaps, find what she was looking for here. “Yes.”

She still didn’t seem convinced. “And what am I supposed to do here?”

Tony shrugged. “Whatever you want, I guess. You get to decide what your life will be like from now on.”

That brought a small smile to her face and she nodded.

“And you don’t have to stay forever. I mean, it’s not like you couldn’t go see Gamora if you wanted to. Or like she couldn’t visit.”

“I will think about it,” was all she said, but Tony thought she might be inclined to stay after all. At least for a while.

Before they left, the Guardians wanted to know what was to be done with the Stones. Despite a week of discussions, a decision had not yet been made. There were some who wanted to keep the Stones – and Tony noticed some unsettling ulterior motives for that – and some who wanted to get them off the planet as soon as possible. The problem, of course, was where to take them in order to keep them hidden. Thanos and the Black Order might be dead, but that didn’t mean someone else wouldn’t try to collect them for similar reasons in the future.

After going around in circles for far too long with nothing to show for it, Tony got rather fed up with it.

“Okay, how about we just ask the Stones what they want to do?” he suggested, getting confused looks in return. He had told the Panel some of what he and Vision had discussed regarding the Stone’s affinity for him, so it really shouldn’t be that surprising.

“How would we do that?” Wu asked, expression skeptical.

Tony shrugged. “Well, we get them together and… talk, I guess.”

The Stones had been secured in different locations. The Mind Stone was still in Vision’s head, of course, and the Time Stone remained with the Order. Soul was back in the vault at the Tower. Power and Reality were each placed in a different safe in the Compound in a nanite casing derived from Tony’s suit. No one had done anything with them since then, though everyone was aware of their presence like a dormant mine that could explode at any moment. Tony didn’t think that was going to happen, but he understood why others were scared.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Vision said, and that seemed to relax the Panel a little.

Within an hour, all the Stone in their possession – which were all the Infinity Stones minus the Space Stone – were laid out in the table at the Compound’s conference room with the Avengers and the Guardians in attendance. Someone had suggested getting them to the UN building where the Panel usually met but the idea had been shot down pretty quickly. Clearly the Panel members weren’t all that keen on being too close to them.

“Go ahead, Dr Stark,” Wu said, watching from his screen.

Tony took a deep breath and reached out for the case with the Power Stone first. The Stone glowed slightly, and then all the others did as well, including Mind. Vision nodded at him to continue.

“Hey, there,” he said aloud, feeling a little silly. “So, I suppose you know that Thanos is gone and the threat is past. And… well, we’re wondering what to do with you all now. So, if you have any preferences, now would be the time to tell us.”

Yep, he definitely felt silly, even though it had been his idea. The Guardians were staring at the Stones with suspicion and a little fear. On the Avengers’ side, Strange and Loki looked interested and intrigued; Hope, Bruce and T’Challa were wary; Thor and Rhodey were tense; Friday was fairly neutral; and Vision had his eyes closed, as if he was trying to hear the answer from the Mind Stone itself.

The response did not come in words, of course. It was hard to describe how they communicated; no word or even images, just an impression. Tony was trying to make sense of it when someone gasped. He opened his eyes (and he didn’t even notice he’d closed them) to find only one Stone left on the table.

“What’s happened? Where did they go?” Quill asked, glancing around in confusion.

“They left,” Tony said. “They went back to hiding.” That was what they had told him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he began to understand the message. “They don’t like being used the way Thanos did. They know how dangerous that could be, so they… scattered themselves back out there. Somewhere they won’t be found.”

“But Time is still here,” Rhodey pointed out.

“It likes it here, I guess. It’s been here for a while and it hasn’t been misused. I supposed it likes us a bit now. Or as much as it can like anything.”

“But how can they just disappear like that?” Hope asked with a frown. “I mean, Space isn’t even here.”

“It is gone from Asgard’s vault as well,” Vision said. The Mind Stone was still there on his head, thankfully. “Individually, the Stones would not be able to do this, but here and now, they are connected to each other, which amplifies their awareness and… powers. They can act for themselves.”

“Wait, Space left too? How is it connected to the others if it’s not actually here?” It was Bruce’s turn to be confused.

“It’s Space,” Tony replied. “It can be anywhere. And it can go anywhere. Put it together with Reality and Power and… poof.” He made a disappearing gesture. “Off they went, taking Soul along.”

“You’ll need to tell Odin about that, lest he think someone stole it,” Loki told Thor, who nodded, looking a little peeved.

After a beat of silence, Tony clapped his hands together. “Well, that’s that, folks. All sorted.” He grinned and received an answering chuckle from Rhodey, Loki and Bruce. “We can all go on with our lives Stone-free. Well, except for Vision, of course.”

Vision inclined his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

The Panel members looked at each other in bewilderment for a moment, then Wu shrugged. “I guess that’s it, then. Dr Strange, the Masters of the Mystic Arts will continue to have custody of the Time Stone. We expect to be notified of any issues that might present themselves.”

Strange nodded. “Of course.”

With the meeting dismissed, the Guardians decided it was time to go, so they all trooped outside where their ship was to see them off.

“Thanks for everything, guys,” Tony told them.

“Your planet isn’t as bad as I thought,” Rocket said. “And your tech isn’t so backwards.”

Tony smiled, knowing that was high praise coming from him.

“I am Groot,” Groot said, and it seemed to be an agreement. He was carrying a bag with an X-Box and a pile of games he had acquired during his stay (Peter and Friday may have encouraged him a little bit too much). Tony imagined the rest of the Guardians were going to have a hell of a time keeping him from locking himself in his room with them all day.

“We’ll be back,” Gamora promised with a longing glance at Nebula, who had decided to stay after all.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Quill agreed. “There’s still a lot I need to catch up on.”

There were a lot of handshakes and even a few hugs (mostly from Mantis, the rest of the Guardians weren’t the hugging type), and then the Avengers stood back to let the ship take off.

“Those are some weird people,” Rhodey commented, to which everyone nodded. “But they’re all right.”

“Well, it’s nice to know not all aliens are out to get us,” Hope said.

“Hey,” Loki protested. “We already knew that.”

“You don’t count, Lokes. You’re one of us now,” Tony said, and Loki gave a pleased smile. “All right, everyone. Dinner at the penthouse tonight. It’s party time!” Tony made sure to look at T’Challa and Nebula so they knew they were invited as well.

There would be other battles, sure, but for now… As far as Tony was concerned, all was right with the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only an epilogue left to go now. Thanks for reading.


	13. Epilogue

The party was in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Friday mingled about, chatting with people as she went. All the Avengers were there, plus Peter (milking his temporary Avenger status for all it was worth), Wong, Pepper, Happy, the bots and Nebula. Friday was sad grandma and grandpa couldn’t be there, but not everyone in the group was aware of their resurrection. It was possible, however, that T’Challa and Nebula would be told about them eventually.

Friday made her way to where Nebula was standing stiffly, holding a glass of champagne in her hand like a shield.

“Hi,” she said with a smile. Nebula didn’t smile back, but she didn’t tense more, at least. Friday counted it as a win. Baby steps, dad had said. Nebula needed time to get to know them better. “I’m glad you decided to stay with us. It’s always nice to have more ladies around here.” Friday wasn’t a woman, technically, but it was something to say to break the ice. “Anyway, I was thinking that we could help each other.”

Nebula cocked his head. “How?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking that I should learn some self-defense, and you might be just the person to teach me.” Friday could ask someone else, of course, yet it seemed like a good opportunity to include Nebula in something. Dad had approved it when she’d told him. “And I can help you get… acclimated, so to speak. Oh, and we could do shopping!” The last bit was said with more eagerness. Friday usually did most of her shopping online, but lately she thought it would be interesting to experience the real thing. Now that the world was more used to her existence, she figured it would be safe. Nebula had been introduced as an ally who had helped them fight the big bad villain, so the average person would probably see her positively as well.

“Shopping?” Nebula asked. If there was no enthusiasm in her voice or expression, at least there was no disdain either. She was more… cautious.

Friday nodded. “It’s a thing humans do. Go out and buy things for themselves. Clothes and entertainment stuff. Or whatever they want or need, really.” She shrugged. “It’s supposed to be fun.” Not everyone liked shopping, of course (especially when one didn’t have money), but most people would at least count it as a social activity.

“I don’t think my unit credits will work here.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We’ll get you money.” Friday made a mental note to ask Nebula about how money worked in the wider universe later. That could be a fascinating subject – and probably a safe topic of conversation, she figured.

Nebula pursed her lips. “I don’t need your charity.”

“It’s not charity. It’s stipulated in your contract that we provide for you, at least until you sort out some kind of job for yourself.”

That made Nebula relax a little. “And what kind of job could I get?” She sounded skeptical and perhaps a tad defensive.

“Hmm, I don’t know. But I’m sure you can find something,” Friday added in an upbeat tone. “Still, you should probably get a bit more familiar with things here before you do that. A shopping trip could be a start. We could invite Hope along too, have a girls’ day out or something. Maybe Pepper too, if she’s not busy.” Nebula hadn’t properly met Pepper yet, actually, now that she thought about it. Friday located Pepper talking to Colonel Rhodes and Doctor Strange on the other side of the room and decided to get Nebula there for the introductions.

“I will think about it.”

Friday smiled and clapped her hands together. “Awesome!”

“What are you girls doing there?” dad asked, coming up to them. He put an arm around Friday’s shoulders, which made her ridiculously happy.

“I was inviting Nebula for a shopping trip,” Friday answered. “She’s gonna need stuff.” For now, Nebula would be given a room in the Tower, where Friday and Jarvis could keep an eye on her. It wasn’t that they thought she was going to do something bad, but she was new to Earth and thus needed some supervision (though, in truth, she was a bit more trigger happy than most people were comfortable with). Plus, the people in the Tower (not just the Avengers but SI workers) were used to all sorts of weirdness by now.

“That sounds like a great idea, Fri.” He turned to Nebula. “And maybe later you can come by the lab, Nebs. There’s some stuff I want to get your opinion on.”

Nebula nodded, though she still seemed a bit wary. Baby steps, Friday thought again.

“Mr Stark! Fri!”

Peter bounded over to their corner with his usual enthusiasm. He’d forgone the mask this time.

“Hey, kid. How’s college going?”

Peter’s expression turned a bit sheepish. “Ah, I haven’t exactly started.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Well, there was an invasion coming, you know. It just didn’t seem that important. Anyway, it’s only, like, a couple of weeks. I can catch up.”

Friday had tried to convince Peter to go to class, but he had been too worried about everything to be able to focus, he said. Plus, once he’d been made temporary Avenger, he’d wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice.

“You’d better. I’m gonna keep my eye on you.” Dad made the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture, with two fingers going from his eyes to Peter. “Oh, and hey, have you met Nebula?”

Peter turned to Nebula with the same bright smile. “Hi! I’m Peter. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand and, after a slight hesitation, Nebula shook it. “I still wanna hear all about your space adventures, Mr Stark. I mean, I know it wasn’t a vacation or anything, but the danger is past now, right? So we can focus on good things…?” He trailed off, as if unsure of himself.

“Well, I didn’t actually get to see a lot of space, but yeah. You and I should have a chat. Rhodey and Jarvis said you were pretty awesome in the battle.”

Peter flushed happily and bounced on his heels, unable to stay still. “Thanks, Mr Stark. It was… well, kinda scary, but good. I mean, we won.”

“Yeah, we did.” Dad smiled again, as his gaze went from Peter to Friday and Nebula. “It’s a brand new world now.”

“Come on, Nebula, let me introduce you to some other friends,” Friday said, considering then discarding taking Nebula’s arm. She inclined her head and waited for Nebula to (somewhat reluctantly) follow her.

Nebula didn’t talk much, yet she seemed to relax as the evening wore on and nothing horrible happened. She stayed by Friday’s side for the most part, watching everyone with keen eyes. Friday wondered what she was thinking. Pepper and Hope readily agreed to a shopping expedition, to Friday’s delight.

It was getting a bit late when Thor called everyone’s attention.

“My friends,” he started with his usual booming voice, and Friday noticed Loki rolling his eyes, though he seemed more fond than annoyed. “Today we celebrate a great victory over our enemies!” He raised his glass and everyone did the same (except Friday and Vision, who didn’t drink) with some cheering. “This victory is a result of great teamwork and cooperation, as well as an impressive amount of planning. I am honored to have been part of such outstanding work.” He smiled, then sobered. “I am very grateful for all you have done for me, for allowing me a chance to rectify past mistakes.” His gaze sought Loki’s, who nodded in acknowledgement. “I regret that I must return to Asgard, now that the danger is past. I have neglected my responsibilities there for too long, and must face them now. However, I will do so knowing I am a better man, in large part because of your wise counsel and support. My most sincere thanks. I shall miss you all deeply.” He touched his chest with one closed fist and bowed.

“Hey, you can still come and visit us, Point Break,” dad said.

Thor’s smile was a bit watery when he nodded. Despite their rather rocky start, the New Avengers wished Thor luck with genuine feeling, including Friday. Loki looked like he couldn’t decide whether to be happy or sad by the news. He and Thor talked in whispered voices for some time, before hugging each other.

When Friday turned to Nebula, she found the woman watching them with an undecipherable expression. “Are you all right, Nebula?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” It was a much more honest answer than Friday had expected. “But maybe I will be, eventually. Loki seems to be doing all right.”

“Yeah,” Friday agreed. “A lot of us here had a bit of a rough patch at some point, but we got through it. With a little help from our friends.” She smiled, and saw a ghost of an answering one in Nebula’s lips.

Rhodey decided to propose a toast too, which was in no way as serious as Thor’s had been. In fact, he got downright silly.

“Leave it to Tony to make friends with the freaking Infinity Stones. Which is totally understandable, of course. I mean, how could they resist this face?” Rhodey snagged dad’s arm and smooshed his face. “It is the face of a guy who will defend the damn universe, isn’t it? And look pretty bad-ass while doing it too, I’m sure.”

Dad laughed and tried, rather half-heartedly, to get out of the embrace.

“It was impressive,” Nebula said, surprising everyone by speaking. She nodded in dad’s direction and raised her glass.

“Aw, thanks,” dad said, eyes glinting happily. “But everyone did a fantastic job. Go Avengers!”

“Avengers!” they all shouted, with many hugs and pats on the back.

There would probably be other threats at some point, but for now they could celebrate and enjoy the fact that they were all alive. It had been a long journey since the shitty beginning of the Avengers, with a lot of loss and heartache. There had also been a lot of growth and strengthening of bonds – real ones – as well as new friendships and relationships that had made their lives better not only in a personal way but also professionally. They had risen again from the ashes the Civil War had left behind better than before. Friday was really proud to be part of this group.

Whatever happened next, they would deal with it. Not just the Avengers, but the whole world. Listening and supporting each other, lending their skills and strengths where it was needed. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the last big story for this series, but I’m not marking it complete yet. I might do a DVD Extras story like I did for Consequences with things that didn’t fit in this one. Aside from that, there is still stuff I could explore in this ‘verse, though I don’t have any specific ideas at the moment. So I’m open to suggestions. If you have an idea of something you’d like to see, let me know and we’ll see if the muses bite.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Infinity Crack](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27407365) by [Ana (Anafandom)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anafandom/pseuds/Ana)




End file.
